Hierdie studie is 'n vergelyking en evaluering van sekere "modelle" vir Christelike wetenskap wat voorgestel en ontwikkel is deur Reformatoriese denkers (in sommige gevalle vanaf die 1930s ). Hierdie modelle het die veronderstelling in gemeen dat 'n bybels-sensitiewe wetenskap moontlik en noodsaaklik is. Maar die voorstelle om so 'n wetenskap te implementeer en te bevorder bevat groot verskille in klem en strategie. Afgesien van periodieke verwysings na Kuyper se sienings, is veral die modelle van die (1) Dooyeweerdiaanse en (2) Reformatoriese skole, die (3) Van Til-beweging, (4) Jakob Klapwijk en (5) Nicholas Wolterstorff geanaliseer. Die evaluering van elke model fokus op vier hoof areas: 1) Die verband tussen Skriftuur en wetenskap met spesifieke aandag aan die oorbruggingsmeganismes wat nodig geag word, of meer geskik geag word as andere, om 'n band tussen die twee te bewerkstellig. 2) Die verwantskap tussen wetenskappe (ensiklopedie van die wetenskap). Die gevolglike hiërargie tussen wetenskappe en die superioriteit van sommige van hulle met betrekking tot ander. 3) Die verstaan van religieuse antitese en die gevolg vir konkrete wetenskapsbeoefening. 4) Die siening van wetenskap wat in elke model na vore tree. Met hierdie analise word gepoog om die sterk en swak punte van elke model uit te wys en om te fokus op elke probleemareas in 'n poging om 'n bydrae te maak vanuit 'n Bybelse oogpunt. Die vergelyking toon aan dat die mees onlange modelle nie altyd 'n verbetering op vorige standpunte is nie. Hoewel evaluerings en opmerkings deurgaans in die studie gedoen is, formuleer ek in die laaste hoofstuk my eie siening duideliker. In sommige areas stem ek min of meer saam met die standpunte van 'n spesifieke model. In ander opsigte voel ek dat 'n nuwe benadering nodig is en probeer ek dus voorstelle ter vernuwing aan die hand doen. / Thesis (M.A. (Philosophy))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2002

Hierdie studie is 'n vergelyking en evaluering van sekere "modelle" vir Christelike wetenskap wat voorgestel en ontwikkel is deur Reformatoriese denkers (in sommige gevalle vanaf die 1930s ). Hierdie modelle het die veronderstelling in gemeen dat 'n bybels-sensitiewe wetenskap moontlik en noodsaaklik is. Maar die voorstelle om so 'n wetenskap te implementeer en te bevorder bevat groot verskille in klem en strategie. Afgesien van periodieke verwysings na Kuyper se sienings, is veral die modelle van die (1) Dooyeweerdiaanse en (2) Reformatoriese skole, die (3) Van Til-beweging, (4) Jakob Klapwijk en (5) Nicholas Wolterstorff geanaliseer. Die evaluering van elke model fokus op vier hoof areas: 1) Die verband tussen Skriftuur en wetenskap met spesifieke aandag aan die oorbruggingsmeganismes wat nodig geag word, of meer geskik geag word as andere, om 'n band tussen die twee te bewerkstellig. 2) Die verwantskap tussen wetenskappe (ensiklopedie van die wetenskap). Die gevolglike hiërargie tussen wetenskappe en die superioriteit van sommige van hulle met betrekking tot ander. 3) Die verstaan van religieuse antitese en die gevolg vir konkrete wetenskapsbeoefening. 4) Die siening van wetenskap wat in elke model na vore tree. Met hierdie analise word gepoog om die sterk en swak punte van elke model uit te wys en om te fokus op elke probleemareas in 'n poging om 'n bydrae te maak vanuit 'n Bybelse oogpunt. Die vergelyking toon aan dat die mees onlange modelle nie altyd 'n verbetering op vorige standpunte is nie. Hoewel evaluerings en opmerkings deurgaans in die studie gedoen is, formuleer ek in die laaste hoofstuk my eie siening duideliker. In sommige areas stem ek min of meer saam met die standpunte van 'n spesifieke model. In ander opsigte voel ek dat 'n nuwe benadering nodig is en probeer ek dus voorstelle ter vernuwing aan die hand doen. / Thesis (M.A. (Philosophy))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2002

Thesis (MEd)--PU vir CHO

Thesis (MEd)--PU vir CHO

Adolescents face many challenges in their communities, families and individually during the complex developmental stage of adolescence. It is during this time that their sense of self and an identity apart from their parents become more strongly developed and they become more autonomous. As adolescents separate more and more from their parents they move progressively towards their peer relationships, which is an important part of identity formation. However, during this period they are exposed to many healthy and unhealthy influences in the community, especially when engaging with their peers and other social structures outside of the family. During childhood they were less likely to engage in undesirable or risk behaviour for fear of disapproval and rejection from their parents but during adolescence there is a strong need for approval from their peers, who might engage in and encourage risk behaviour. Effective coping strategies can be an important protective factor aiding them in making the right choices and decisions and resisting peer pressure. Previously, many models of adolescent coping have been taken from coping studies done with adults, which have not accounted for the developmental differences between adults and adolescents. Now as literature on coping with regards to adolescence is growing, the studies often ignore religious coping strategies and their potential impact on functioning. Yet, recent data suggests that religious behaviour and beliefs have a protective influence that moderates the impact of adverse interpersonal life events and social adversity as well as physical and mental health. Thus, this qualitative study applied case study methods to explore and describe the different coping strategies used by a group of church-going adolescents from branches of a non-denominational church in Durban. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the North-West University and informed consent was obtained from the parents and the adolescent minors before they participated in the study. Data was collected using a visual representation technique, two individual interviews and a focus group discussion with twelve participants. The data was analysed using thematic analysis and three main themes and various subthemes emerged. The first theme was understanding of coping as indicated by participants while the second theme identified the sources of their coping strategies and the third theme involved their specific coping strategies, which included religion, leisure activities, physical coping, social support systems, creativity and behaviour. These findings provide a greater understanding of the coping strategies and modalities used by church-going adolescents. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Adolescents face many challenges in their communities, families and individually during the complex developmental stage of adolescence. It is during this time that their sense of self and an identity apart from their parents become more strongly developed and they become more autonomous. As adolescents separate more and more from their parents they move progressively towards their peer relationships, which is an important part of identity formation. However, during this period they are exposed to many healthy and unhealthy influences in the community, especially when engaging with their peers and other social structures outside of the family. During childhood they were less likely to engage in undesirable or risk behaviour for fear of disapproval and rejection from their parents but during adolescence there is a strong need for approval from their peers, who might engage in and encourage risk behaviour. Effective coping strategies can be an important protective factor aiding them in making the right choices and decisions and resisting peer pressure. Previously, many models of adolescent coping have been taken from coping studies done with adults, which have not accounted for the developmental differences between adults and adolescents. Now as literature on coping with regards to adolescence is growing, the studies often ignore religious coping strategies and their potential impact on functioning. Yet, recent data suggests that religious behaviour and beliefs have a protective influence that moderates the impact of adverse interpersonal life events and social adversity as well as physical and mental health. Thus, this qualitative study applied case study methods to explore and describe the different coping strategies used by a group of church-going adolescents from branches of a non-denominational church in Durban. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the North-West University and informed consent was obtained from the parents and the adolescent minors before they participated in the study. Data was collected using a visual representation technique, two individual interviews and a focus group discussion with twelve participants. The data was analysed using thematic analysis and three main themes and various subthemes emerged. The first theme was understanding of coping as indicated by participants while the second theme identified the sources of their coping strategies and the third theme involved their specific coping strategies, which included religion, leisure activities, physical coping, social support systems, creativity and behaviour. These findings provide a greater understanding of the coping strategies and modalities used by church-going adolescents. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In this study I explored depictions of diversity in the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course at North-West University in South Africa. South Africa was and is still is facing the challenge of inequalities such as getting access to higher education institutions that were previously dominated by a white Christian Afrikaans-speaking group. The first democratic election in South Africa in 1994 brought about structural changes in society. These structural changes included the merging of tertiary education institutions such as colleges of education, technikons and universities. In view of South Africa’s history of divisions and injustices such as patriarchy, mono-religiosity and mono-ethnicism, it therefore seemed valuable to explore how diversity is depicted in higher education institutions. In 2012 a task team was set up by the dean of the Faculty of Education Sciences at the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University. This team investigated how diversity was expressed in selected study guides of the undergraduate BEd degree programme offered at the Potchefstroom Campus to contact mode students. This study identified the need to explore how diversity is depicted at a postgraduate degree level. The primary purpose of my research was to explore empirically the extent to which diversity nuances of gender, religion and ethnicity are depicted in the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course. This involved exploring the depictions of diversity in study guides of the modules presented in the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course. In addition, I also looked into the depictions of diversity by lecturers presenting modules and students enrolled for the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course. The study was situated in a critical theory paradigm and utilised a qualitative research design with a critical ethnographic methodology. Three sets of data generation methods were employed: document research, semi-structured one-on-one interviews and focus group interviews. The two campuses of North-West University offering this programme were purposefully selected as my research environments. I employed purposeful sampling, and study guides utilised by lecturers and students in the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course formed the sample. Lecturers presenting modules and students enrolled for the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course were participants. Critical discourse analysis, underpinned by Fairclough’s (1992) three-dimensional conception of discourse, was the method of analysis. The conclusions were derived predominantly from the diversity nuances acculturation and rationality. Some of the conclusions were also derived from diversity as a nuance but to a limited extent. The conclusions vary from depictions on the chosen discourse of diversity, depictions relating to curricula and the multifaceted aspect of diversity. With regard to the depictions on the chosen discourses of diversity, it was evident that some lecturer participants were only fostering the aspects gender, religion and ethnicity of certain cultural groups, which caused some groups to be invisible. Student participants’ depictions were ideologically embedded as they preferred not to engage with diversity to eliminate certain issues. Lecturer participants also tended to include disadvantaged minority/majority groups to such a limited extent that they were almost non-existent. Furthermore, it appeared that lecturer participants excluded diversity to foster inclusion. Separation was also emphasised by student participants in that they were being forced to engage with diversity rather than wanting to or having a choice to engage with diversity or not. Reflecting on the conclusions arising from my study, I put forward a theoretical stance focusing on curriculum-making for social justice. / MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In this study I explored depictions of diversity in the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course at North-West University in South Africa. South Africa was and is still is facing the challenge of inequalities such as getting access to higher education institutions that were previously dominated by a white Christian Afrikaans-speaking group. The first democratic election in South Africa in 1994 brought about structural changes in society. These structural changes included the merging of tertiary education institutions such as colleges of education, technikons and universities. In view of South Africa’s history of divisions and injustices such as patriarchy, mono-religiosity and mono-ethnicism, it therefore seemed valuable to explore how diversity is depicted in higher education institutions. In 2012 a task team was set up by the dean of the Faculty of Education Sciences at the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University. This team investigated how diversity was expressed in selected study guides of the undergraduate BEd degree programme offered at the Potchefstroom Campus to contact mode students. This study identified the need to explore how diversity is depicted at a postgraduate degree level. The primary purpose of my research was to explore empirically the extent to which diversity nuances of gender, religion and ethnicity are depicted in the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course. This involved exploring the depictions of diversity in study guides of the modules presented in the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course. In addition, I also looked into the depictions of diversity by lecturers presenting modules and students enrolled for the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course. The study was situated in a critical theory paradigm and utilised a qualitative research design with a critical ethnographic methodology. Three sets of data generation methods were employed: document research, semi-structured one-on-one interviews and focus group interviews. The two campuses of North-West University offering this programme were purposefully selected as my research environments. I employed purposeful sampling, and study guides utilised by lecturers and students in the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course formed the sample. Lecturers presenting modules and students enrolled for the Curriculum Studies programme of the BEdHons degree course were participants. Critical discourse analysis, underpinned by Fairclough’s (1992) three-dimensional conception of discourse, was the method of analysis. The conclusions were derived predominantly from the diversity nuances acculturation and rationality. Some of the conclusions were also derived from diversity as a nuance but to a limited extent. The conclusions vary from depictions on the chosen discourse of diversity, depictions relating to curricula and the multifaceted aspect of diversity. With regard to the depictions on the chosen discourses of diversity, it was evident that some lecturer participants were only fostering the aspects gender, religion and ethnicity of certain cultural groups, which caused some groups to be invisible. Student participants’ depictions were ideologically embedded as they preferred not to engage with diversity to eliminate certain issues. Lecturer participants also tended to include disadvantaged minority/majority groups to such a limited extent that they were almost non-existent. Furthermore, it appeared that lecturer participants excluded diversity to foster inclusion. Separation was also emphasised by student participants in that they were being forced to engage with diversity rather than wanting to or having a choice to engage with diversity or not. Reflecting on the conclusions arising from my study, I put forward a theoretical stance focusing on curriculum-making for social justice. / MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The intention of this research is to analyse the process and methodology of the Iranian negotiating style. The research is mainly premised on Putnam’s two-level game metaphor (1988) and the “ultimate decision making unit” of Hermann et al. (1987), the purpose being to identify key leadership units, individuals, and formal and informal networks in Iran. The study further takes cognisance of key elements of the Iranian national character, which naturally impacts directly on what Iran considers to be a suitable negotiating style. It provides an overview of how the 1979 revolution changed Iranian diplomacy and how it forced international political theorists to take note of the cultural-religious dimension, ignored until then as elements of international politics and theory. Two case studies, deal respectively with the US hostage crisis (1979-1981), and the Iran-E3/EU nuclear negotiations, between 2003 and 2006. The analysis shows how Iran assumed the character of a revolutionary country and how its new religiously driven diplomacy is evolving. The study finally identifies and illustrates the active deployment of Shî’a negotiation doctrine as the basis of Iranian diplomacy and the use of techniques such as taqiyyah, tanfih and khod’eh. A model for negotiations with Iran is developed using key elements of the research. AFRIKAANS : Die studie fokus op Iranese onderhandelingstyl en - metodiek. Twee teorieë, naamlik Putnam (1988) se “twee-ledige interaktiewe onderhandelingsproses” en Hermann et al. (1987) se leierskapsmodel, is gebruik om Iran se gefragmenteerde leierselite asook die staat se formele en informele netwerke wat ‘n sleutelrol vervul in onderhandeling te identifiseer. Bykomend hiertoe is ‘n analise gemaak van faktore soos kultuur en godsdiens wat onderliggend is aan Iran se “nasionale karakter” en dus ’n direkte invloed uitoefen op Iranese onderhandelingstyl. Die studie wys ook hoe die 1979 rewolusie ‘n verandering gebring het deur godsdiens en kultuur tot gelykwaardige dimensies van die internationale politiek te verhoog nadat dit voorheen heeltemal geïgnoreer is. Dit bly egter vreemd vir die Weste. Die studie slaag daarin om deur middel van twee navorsingsondersoeke rakende Iran se oorname van die VSA ambassade in Tehran tussen 1979 en 1981) en die Iran-E3/EU kernonderhandelings tussen 2003 en 2006 die fokus te plaas op die identifisering en ontwikkeling van ‘n Iranese onderhandelingstyl. Tegnieke soos taqiyyah, tanfih en khod’eh wat die basis van Iran se diplomatieke onderhandellingstyl vorm, word vervolgens bespreek terwyl ‘n model vir onderhandelinge met Iran ook ontwikkel is uit die gegewens wat verkry is uit die navorsing. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Political Sciences / unrestricted

This dissertation focuses on the return and revitalization of traditional Christian themes in contemporary postmodern novels. It offers an examination of how these themes materialize in novels written by writers who are not explicitly religious, or in novels which do not have an overtly religious focus. Some contemporary novels generate a privileged space in which the return of the religious can take place. The sacred is back, not just as a re-enchantment, but manifests itself in fundamentally new and productive ways (Ward, 2001:xv). The first matter under consideration is the fact that the co-existence of belief and unbelief is apparent in all the novels under discussion. As such, the reader as active participant in the novel is bound to be affected by these mutually inter-dependent and inextricably inter-connected sides of a coin. The themes of providence, sacrifice and the miraculous become evident in John Irving‟s A prayer for Owen Meany while the themes of sin, guilt and redemption feature in Ian McEwan‟s Atonement. Secondly, the study compares two novels that deal with the same supernatural phenomena, namely visions, faith healing and stigmata. Jodi Picoult is a non-believer and is the author of Keeping Faith, while Ron Hansen is a devout Catholic who wrote Mariëtte in ecstasy. These works, on the one hand, create a space for supernatural phenomena even though fiction cannot prove the reality of their existence. Postmodern people seem to have a definite longing for the miraculous and these novels seem to satisfy that yearning. On the other hand, both novels portray disbelief in the miraculous while subtly allowing room for characters or readers in a liminal space between belief and disbelief. The theories of Jean François Lyotard and specifically his notion of “incredulity towards metanarratives” provide a framework to explore this matter. Lyotard proposes “petit recits” or many small stories instead of the grand narratives. He contends that there is no objective knowledge and that narrative and scientific knowledge are subject to legitimization. The Christian story therefore needs no scientific basis as justification, which means that it is being newly considered after the mistrust created during the Enlightenment period. Gianteresio Vattimo‟s ideas on the role of religion in contemporary life and the possible convergences of postmodernity and the Christian faith also come into play. He advocates weak thought as opposed to strong thought and sees caritas (charity or neighbourly love) as essential. This concept of weak thought allows for plurality and tolerance. Vattimo sees Christ‟s kenosis (self-emptying) as essentially linked to a secularization in which humankind needs to retrace the path to the original Biblical message of love. Emphasis is on a non-doctrinal, anti-dogmatic spirituality and this manifests in the novels discussed. This study employs diverse reader-response theories to gauge the reaction of the reader to texts containing Biblical themes and supernatural phenomena. Stanley Fish‟s interpretive communities and Wolfgang Iser‟s implied reader are helpful and Michael Edwards‟s pattern of sin, the fall and redemption is of particular interest to this dissertation. Edwards believes that most novels, whether written by religious or non-religious writers, follow this pattern. Readers find themselves either on the side of the believing or unbelieving camp in the novels discussed. However, many readers may hover in the liminal space between belief and unbelief. Interpretation depends on many factors that constitute the world view of the reader, hence the plurality of interpretations. / MA (English), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014