A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. December 2017. / Unilateral hearing loss (UHL), commonly known as 'single-sided deafness,' constitutes an ignored and under-researched population group. The limited existing research has established that persons with UHL tend to experience challenges in various social, emotional, language and academic areas, and thus persons with UHL experience more problems than previously realised. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the socio-emotional experiences of three persons with UHL. In addition, the researcher’s personal narrative as a person with UHL is included to provide another perspective. The participants were interviewed which provided narratives The theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological model (1977-2009) and Vygotsky's (1962-1998) theories of language were used to interpret the influence of a child's surrounding social and cultural environments, and their interactions. The narrative data were analysed and interpreted using coding and categorising processes. Findings from the personal narratives revealed themes of anger, isolation, frustration as well as, indicated that children with UHL require assistance regarding disclosing their hearing loss. Additionally, topics such as ‘teasing’, ‘disturbing experiences during hearing loss diagnosis’ and ‘feelings of loneliness’ were also revealed. This study established that a child's surrounding social and cultural environments play a significant role in shaping their attitudes and perceptions of their unilateral hearing loss, and not all of the participants experienced disabling social challenges. Those who have intervention opportunities such as counselling, develop more effective communication and coping skills required for persons with UHL. In addition, links between interventions and coping skills were also revealed. Recommendations for future research include investigating the links between a child with UHL, intervention and coping skills, with a particular focus on their quality of life experiences. Significantly, there is a need for intervention programmes that address the social and emotional needs of children with UHL on an individual basis. Keywords Unilateral hearing loss; hearing related quality of life; Coping skills; Expressive Language; Stories; Autoethnography; Narrative Inquiry. / LG2018

Awareness and knowledge of the different transmission modes of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) serves as a vital component of the efforts to prevent the spread of HIV. This quantitative descriptive cross sectional study was conducted with 99 learners from three public schools for learners with hearing impairment in KwaZulu- Natal (KZN). Data was collected via a self-designed questionnaire and analysed via the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Recommendations based on the findings of poor levels of knowledge of transmission modes of HIV were made to motivate for greater awareness amongst these vulnerable learners / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Awareness and knowledge of the different transmission modes of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) serves as a vital component of the efforts to prevent the spread of HIV. This quantitative descriptive cross sectional study was conducted with 99 learners from three public schools for learners with hearing impairment in KwaZulu- Natal (KZN). Data was collected via a self-designed questionnaire and analysed via the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Recommendations based on the findings of poor levels of knowledge of transmission modes of HIV were made to motivate for greater awareness amongst these vulnerable learners / Health Studies / M. A. (Public Health)