The purpose of this research was to investigate the nature of the South African late adolescent’s adjustment whilst on a working holiday in the United Kingdom. In order to achieve this goal a thorough literature study was done with attention afforded to late adolescence, the developmental tasks of this life stage, culture and culture shock and the adjustment to the latter. An empirical study was conducted whereby semi-structured interviews were utilized as a data collection method. During these interviews questions were posed to the respondents to ascertain what they regarded as pleasant as well as unpleasant in relation to their working holiday in the United Kingdom, the perceived cultural differences between South Africans and Britons, problems experienced with the adjustment, homesickness, triggers thereof including ways in which to cope with it. Ten respondents were individually interviewed during this research. An exploratory research design was followed as the researcher explored the trend of late adolescents who embark on a working holiday in the United Kingdom. The researcher performed qualitative research to answer the research question. The research question that was formulated for the purpose of this study was: what is the nature of the adjustment of the late adolescent whilst living and working in the United Kingdom? The researcher applied the one-group posttest-only design as research procedure because interviews were conducted following a period of at least four months in which the respondents had lived in the United Kingdom. Empirical data was obtained by means of an interview schedule and the following themes were identified: -- Late adolescents experience culture shock upon arrival in the United Kingdom. -- Environmental differences are experienced. -- Cultural differences between South Africans and Britons are noted. -- Independency increases. -- Work experience is gained and money earned in order to meet needs. -- Cohesion and solidarity are experienced with fellow South Africans in London. -- Exposure is experienced. -- Homesickness is experienced. The researcher concludes that the late adolescent experiences initial culture shock that is absorbed by the support of fellow South Africans and results in increased independence. Homesickness is experienced and is dealt with in ways that had been tested. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work / unrestricted

The aim of this study is to explore and describe late adolescents' experiences of using Mxit as a source of peer–support during their Grade 12 year in order to provide a broader and more realistic understanding of their support preferences and needs. The classic text of Gestalt Therapy theory in conjunction with current literature provided an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of this study, including the key tenets of Gestalt theory, the core Gestalt theoretical assumptions, Mxit as a social networking application, peer–support and late adolescence. A qualitative research approach with an instrumental case study of eight Grade 12 learners from one public high school in the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg was implemented. The research findings indicated that the affordability, accessibility and non–threatening nature of using Mxit as a source of peer–support made it a viable resource during stressful periods. Although face–to–face peer–support was preferred owing to the limited existential dialogue and lack of trust that was experienced while communicating over Mxit, the adolescents perceived a need for the development of peer–support groups and one–on–one counselling over Mxit as a result of the lack of supportive others experienced during Grade 12 that frequently led to depressive symptoms and/or suicidal thoughts. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The aim of this study is to explore and describe late adolescents' experiences of using Mxit as a source of peer–support during their Grade 12 year in order to provide a broader and more realistic understanding of their support preferences and needs. The classic text of Gestalt Therapy theory in conjunction with current literature provided an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of this study, including the key tenets of Gestalt theory, the core Gestalt theoretical assumptions, Mxit as a social networking application, peer–support and late adolescence. A qualitative research approach with an instrumental case study of eight Grade 12 learners from one public high school in the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg was implemented. The research findings indicated that the affordability, accessibility and non–threatening nature of using Mxit as a source of peer–support made it a viable resource during stressful periods. Although face–to–face peer–support was preferred owing to the limited existential dialogue and lack of trust that was experienced while communicating over Mxit, the adolescents perceived a need for the development of peer–support groups and one–on–one counselling over Mxit as a result of the lack of supportive others experienced during Grade 12 that frequently led to depressive symptoms and/or suicidal thoughts. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.