The researcher proposes working toward a more integrated approach of faith formation in the local church - where one's immediate family plays the central role and the congregation as the extended family functions as a support system. The church as family becomes a community where faith formation is continually nurtured as a lifelong process and by means of all the ministries of the church. The conscious furthering of faith formation should, therefore, not be confined to the ambit of the Sunday School. Its target group cannot be limited to children and adolescents, but should be be broadened to include the adult members, thus serving the totality of the congregation. The researcher proposes an approach where the different generations are not separated in the process of faith formation, but become an integrated learning community where all the different age groups and generations learn from each other and with each other. / Die navorser stel `n meer geïntegreerde benadering tot geloofsvorming binne die plaaslike gemeente voor - waar die gesin of familie die sentrale rol speel en die gemeente as geloofsfamilie as `n ondersteunende sisteem funksioneer. Die gemeente as familie word `n leergemeenskap waar geloofsvorming `n lewenslange proses is en plaasvind binne al die bedienings van die gemeente. Die navorser stel voor dat geloofsvorming nie net beperk moet word tot die tradisionele kategese of "Sondagskool" wat grootliks gerig is op kinders en adolessente nie, maar verbreed moet word om alle gelowiges van alle ouderdomme in te sluit en so die gemeente as geloofsfamilie te dien. Die navorser stel `n benadering voor waar die verskillende generasies nie van mekaar geskei word in die proses van geloofsvorming nie, maar `n geïntegreerde leergemeenskap vorm waar al die verskillende ouderdomsgroepe en generasies saam met mekaar, asook by mekaar kan leer. / Social work / M. Diac. (Youth Work)

Ten spyte daarvan dat die meeste skoolgaande jongmense in die Ned Geref Kerk kategese deurloop, en self in die finale jaar van kategese, word daar nie veel aandag aan lewenstories van die katkisante geskenk nie. Hierdie studie oor geloofsontwikkeling by `n groep katkisante word gedoen vanuit pastoraal teologiese perspektief en `n sosiale konstruksieteorie diskoers. Oor `n tydperk van `n jaar is daar deur middel van kwalitatiewe navorsing `n proses gevolg met `n finalejaarsgroep van nege-en-twintig katkisante met die doel om geloofsontwikkeling te laat plaasvind, deur aandag aan hulle geloofsverhale te gee met die oog op die skryf van `n eie geloofsbelydenis. Na die tyd is oor die proses gereflekteer. Drie aspekte het die studie gerig. Die konteks waarbinne die studie plaasgevind het, wat bestaan uit die gemeente, breër samelewing, paradigmas, verbande en verhoudinge waarbinne die proses plaasgevind het. Die inhoud van die kategese, wat deelnemend gekonstrueer was. Die groep van nege-en-twintig jongmense wat met finalejaarkategese besig was, word binne konteks betrek by deelnemende pastorale kategese. My metode was om binne die gemeente, in die kategese, `n ruimte te skep waarbinne die katkisante deelnemend die kategetiese proses gekonstrueer het. Sodoende sou die klem op deelname val wat die hooffokus van die studie is. Die aandag wat daar aan die katkisante se lewensverhale gegee word maak die narratiewe diskoers relevant vir hierdie studie. Kategese binne hierdie studie het 'n deelnemende karakter. Die volgende benaderings het die deelnemende karakter ondersteun. Die kategesepraktyk skuif na `n pastorale benadering. Die leerinhoude se klem verskuif na verhoudings. Die kategetiese inhoud word sosiaal gekonstrueer. Despite the fact that most youth from the Dutch Reformed Church are of school going age during their final year of catechism, insufficient attention is given to the life stories of these young people. My research project on faith development with a group of young people involved in catechism was shaped by a pastoral theological perspective and a social constructionist discourse. Over a period of a year a process of qualitative research was conducted with a group of twenty-nine young conformants. The aim was to encourage faith development by given attention to their faith stories with the intention for them to write their own confessions of faith. Afterwards the process was reflected on. The study was guided by three themes. The context in which the study was conducted, consisted of the congregation, society at large, paradigms and relationships in which the process took place. The context of the catechism was conducted is a participatory manner. The third theme was the group of twenty-nine young people that participated in their final year of catechism in which the context of participatory pastoral catechism was focused on. The approach that was followed, was create space within the congregation for catechism to be conducted in a participatory manner with the twenty-nine young participants. In this way participation which is the main focus of this study is accentuated. The attention to the life stories of these young people makes the narrative discourse relevant to the study. Catechism according to this study has a participatory character that is supported by the following approaches. The practice of catechism shifts to a pastoral approach. The content of the catechism shifts to relationships. The content of the catechism becomes socially constructed. / Practial Theology / D. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

The aim of this study is to discover to what extent and in what way Peterson and Seligman’s (2004) twenty-four character strengths are present in Winnie the Pooh storybooks, and how they are depicted. Character strengths are a well-known theory in positive psychology and the analysis of children’s literature is a respected genre. A qualitative examination of the text was conducted using content and thematic analyses to extract examples of the strengths. The exemplars were coded and recoded before being subjected to a peer and supervisor review. The excerpts indicated that all strengths are depicted in the text, but Pooh is the only character to exhibit them all. A discussion of the findings revealed that no single strength could be deemed more prominent as they are intrinsically interconnected. It is recommended that the findings be reworked into a training manual for guardians to foster character strengths in young children. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The phenomenon of social isolation among school children in most instances goes unnoticed by both teachers and parents and this oversight could have serious negative restraints on the socially isolated child's cognitive, affective, moral, personality and social development. Social isolation can be caused either through being rejected or neglected by the peer group. This study was carried out among primary and secondary school learners to detei:,mine the extent to which these children are socially isolated; and to identify factors contributing to learners' social isolation. The aim of the study is to provide teachers and parents with a foundation and rationale for effective intervention. A literature study was done to identify the factors influencing social isolation. Some of the factors identified were: social competence, self-esteem, psychological well-being, intelligence, academic achievement, moral values, physical disability, sports participation, self-perceived physical attractiveness, self-perceived physical disability, marital status of parents, parental supervision, parental acceptance, parental autonomy granting and parental conflict. All aspects of development (namely, physical, cognitive, affective, personality, moral and social) were studied in relation to the phenomenon of social isolation. By means of an empirical investigation, it was found after a regression analysis that self-esteem, obedience and social competence accounted for most of the variance in social isolation for primary school learners and in the case of secondary school learners, social competence, family supervision and self-esteem. The two most common factors were social competence and selfesteem. From the empirical findings it was also noted that learners' home language and grade were also associated with social isolation. The educational implications of the findings of the literature and the empirical study are discussed and guidelines given to assist teachers and parents to identify and eliminate the factors contributing to the development of isolation among school learners. If both parents and teachers take cognisance of these recommendations and try to implement them, it should help children in their self-actualisation and facilitate their attainment of adulthood with the least developmental restraints. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This study deals with the problem of moral development discontinuity prevalent in today's multicultural societies. Black adolescents are confronted by many obstacles in their situatedness in the home, school and society. It has been revealed that the black adolescent in the multicultural situation is exploited, dehumanised and exposed to impersonal situations when he should be offered moral guidance and challenging moral dilemmas in order to develop his moral sense, however he is consequently reduced to an object that is tossed to and fro by his fellow human beings. The black adolescent, it has been shown, needs his fellow human beings, as transmitters of moral values to help him to achieve a moral-self. This study examines the three multicultural situations, the home, the school and the society and shows that morals are not inherited but acquired through mutual contact. The acquisition of morals manifests itself under conditions characterised by respect, modelling, imitation, indoctrination, reward and punishment, conformity, loyalty, communication, exemplification, socialisation, experience and learning as determined by the home, school and society. It was also found that in their acquisition of morals in a multicultural society, black adolescents experience confusion brought about by the cultural differences of their society. \\!hat they previously regarded as the right thing to do in their cultural background receives negative responses in the multicultural situation. It was further found that black adolescents in a multicultural situation are not provided with sufficient opportunities to participate meaningfully in moulding their new moral environment. The multicultural environment is cold and unfriendly, as a result black adolescents are barred from expanding and anchoring themselves in their new situation to face the challenges confronting them with confidence. The empirical research revealed that in the home parents are too busy with their professional upgrading and the positions they hold at work to bother about the moral upbringing of their children. In school teachers emphasise scholastic achievement above moral development. The society does not provide black adolescents with moral role models to imitate. Society has become to technocratic, with devices such as the TV, radio, Internet and video games, to guide black adolescents in their moral intemalisation. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The thesis deals with the moral thinking of youth in its adolescent age. The first part deals with the basic ethic terms and with historical development of ethic thinking. The thesis deals further with determinants, which influence the moral development of thinking of a man including primary and secondary socialisation and the influence of a state. The theoretical part ends with a chapter dealing with the psychological aspects of development of moral judgement, where are described the particular stages of moral development according to Lawrence Kohlberg. The practical part deals with the research in a given group according to Kohlberg. The research is made with regard to family background of an individual. Except for reactions to Heinz´s dilemma, there are researched the differences between moral attitudes of men and women and the differences between individuals coming from villages or cities. The aim of this thesis is to judge, if it is possible from the stage of a moral judgement of the researched adoloscents, judge a relation according to the context of their experience in the family. The research showed some influences to moral thinking of a man, but it is not possible to determine the convincing conclusions. The man is to complicated human being, whose moral quality shows the concrete and practical situation only.

PhD (African Studies) / Department of African Studies / Literature and media reports constantly show increased incidences of ill-discipline and lawlessness amongst the youth. These misdemeanours adversely affect communities and the behaviour of the youth as active, responsible and proactive members of the society and community members. Unfortunately, there are insufficient conversations about morality across social strata. The elders often seem disenfranchised by the popularity of the rights-based approach and modernity. In addition, communities are not proactive in coming up with initiatives that encourage on-going nyambedzano between the elders and the youth on issues around morals and discipline. Nyambedzano is a Venda concept that does not seem to have the exact English translation, so in this study I will use the concepts communication, conversation and dialogue interchangeably. Furthermore, there is a continuous blame game in the community about who should lead effective conversations that should buttress the development of responsible youth citizens. The purpose of this study was to explore the relevance of nyambedzano between the youth and elders about African morality among the youth. The study also aimed to investigate factors that were hindering nyambedzano to take place. I conducted qualitative appreciative focus group discussions with the elders and youth (who were in and out of school) that were purposively selected. Data was analysed thematically in relation to the stages of an Appreciative Inquiry approach. Findings revealed that nyambedzano between the elders and the youth about youth morality is relevant; however, its application is complicated by several factors which include the changing family structure, the changing parenting age, media and technology influences, a rightsbased approach to child rearing, and the denigration of cultural values at home, school and in the community. These findings were synthesised to develop a facilitative nyambedzano programme. Contrary to Vhavenda cultural practices, nyambedzano would have to be a two-way communication process between the elders and the youth. It would take place at different contexts, the home being the starting point. There would have to be some compromise between the rights- based contemporary approaches and traditional cultural ways of dealing with morality. This study makes methodological, empirical and theoretical contributions. An Appreciative Inquiry approach was applied to the Vhavenda ethnic group to explore the possibility of Nyambedzano between the youth and elders. The empirical contribution is that this study is the first to address nyambedzano as a process for promoting morality among the youth, within the context of the Tshivenda culture. The theoretical contribution of this study lies in the development of the facilitative nyambedzano programme that describes how nyambedzano between the elders and the youth should take place, taking into consideration the cultural values of the Vhavenda people. The recommendations are based on the creation of supportive parents, families, teachers, schools, churches, community members and policy makers. / NRF

This study explored the phenomena of pre-adolescents growing up in an informal settlement and explored how needs and wants influenced their value and moral formation. The research was located within the specific context of a qualitative interpretivist study. A phenomenological research design was used to highlight how these young people construct their personal identities rooted in their unique value and moral structures. The criteria used to choose the participants included pre-adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14 who lived alone without parental care or who were left alone for long periods during the day. The selected participants were young people who were daily exposed to adverse conditions and who had to make real life choices. Data on how these pre-adolescents viewed their situation were collected using stick figures, collages, drawings and observations, followed by in-depth individual and focus group interviews and discussions on moral dilemmas. The aim of interviewing the young people personally was to explore their own views of the realities of their lived experiences and how they perceived the world around them. From the empirical evidence and the theories studied a number of significant themes emerged that indicated a strong need for emotional and social support, besides their obvious material needs. The major themes were (1) family and community, (2) emotional needs, (3) financial and material needs, (4) protection and security, (5) moral choices and needs, (6) education and (7) religion. The findings of the study revealed that individuals progress through various stages of moral growth and development as they grow from childhood to adulthood, and that children are not born with an innate moral or value system. These have to be taught through the process of socialisation whereby they learn social values, morals, attitudes and expectations as these are communicated from one person to another. The findings also showed that these young people are able to act in a caring, concerned, altruistic and resilient manner, just as much as they are able to act in a destructive manner. These young people are as able to do good just as they are able to do bad things. They have a strong sense of moral rightness and wrongness and the values that underpin morality. It showed that even when their basic human needs are unmet they can still make choices that reflect good moral values. They have the capacity to transcend themselves and to make radical change in their personal lives and in turn contribute to the well being of a better society. Since this was an exploratory study of specific marginalised young people in a particular environment which focused more on pre-adolescents’ espoused theory and how they would act if faced by moral dilemmas, it suggests the need for further exploration and research on the theory in action by studying the reasons why preadolescents engage in at-risk behaviour. SEPEDI : Thuto ye e hlohlomiša ponagalo e kgolô ya baswa bofalalelong bjo e sego bja tlwaelo, gomme ya hlohletša ka moo dinyakwa le dihlokwa di tutueditšego popego ya metheo le setho. Nyakišišo ye e ile ya ela khwalithi ya seo se nyakišiswago tlhoko. Go somišitšwe moakanyetšo wa phatišišoponagalo go tšweletša ka fao baswa ba bopago boitšhupo bjo bo letšego popegong ya mehola le boitshwaro bja bona. Kêlo ye e šomišitšwego e aparetše baswa gare ga mengwaga ye 10 go iša go 14; bao ba phelago ba le tee, go se na tlhokomelo ya batswadi goba bao ba tlogelwago ba le tee nako ye telele mosegare. Batšeakarolo be e le baswa bao ba bego ba lebanwe ke maemo a šoro gomme ba swanetse go ikethela tsela. Data ya ka moo baswa bao ba lebelelago maemo a bona, e ile ya kgoboketšwa go šomišwa diphata, dibopego tšeo di gomareditšwego, dithalwa le temogo ye e latelwago ke poledišano le mongwe le mongwe, goba sehlopha ka ga mathata a boitshwaro. Maikemišetšo a poledisano le baswa ke go nyakišiša dikgopolo tša bona ka ga bonnete bja maitemogelo, le ka moo ba bonago lefase. Go tšwa bohlatseng bja boitekelo bjo, le go teori tše di nyakišitšwego, go bonagetše nyakego ya thekgo ya khuduego le leago, gape le tša dinyakwa tša bophelo. Dintlhakgolo di bile (1) lapa le tikologoleago (2) dinyakwa tša moya (3) dinyakwa tša tšhelele le didirišwa (4) tšhireletšo le potego (go lotega) (5) boitshwaro le dihlokwa (6) thuto (7) bodumedi. Dikhwetšo tša thuto ye di utollotše gore mongwe le mongwe o tšwelela dikgatong tše mmalwa tša kgolô ya boitshwaro le tšweletšopele ge ba ntše ba gola go tšwa bjaneng go ya bogolong; le gore bana ga ba belegwe ba na le mokgwa wa maitshwaro wa tlhago. Tšeo di rutwa ka tsela ya phedišano; ka fao ba ithute kagišano, maitshwaro bjale ka ge di hlagiswa ke batho ba bangwe. Khumano e laeditse gape gore baswa ba kgona go hlokomela, ba amege, ba be le phanô, gape ba itshware ka tsela ye e sa swanelago. Baswa ba kgono dira botse, ba fetoge ba dire bobe. Ba na le moya wa setho le moya wa tshenyo; gape le theô ye e laetšago maitshwaro a botse. E bontšhitse le gore, le ge dinyakwa tša bona di sa kgotšofatswe, ba kgono kgetha ba laetše maitshwaro a mabotse. Ba na le maatla a go feta mathateng, ba fetole maphelo a bona gomme ba be le kabelo go kaonafatša tikologoleago. Ka ge se e bego e le fela thutotlhotlhomišo ya baswa bao ba lego mellwaneng ya bophelo tikologong e itšego, gomme ya ikamanya fela go teori ya baswa le ka moo batla itshwarago, ge ba lebanwe le mathata a setho, e laetša nyako ya tlhotlhomišo e tseneletšego, e tšwelago pele ka nyakišišo ya teori ye ka go ithuta mabaka ao a dirago maitshwaro a. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The author is reviewing the research that E. Kuruczová demonstrated in her diploma thesis called The effect of social organization of games on the orientation in their moral dimension. The main goal of the diploma thesis Kuruczová developed another contribution to Piaget's theory of the development of moral reasoning of school-age children. Piaget's empirical data suggested that social organizations could influence orientation in their moral dimensions. Kuruczová found that in her 180 children from one school (aged 1st - 9th grade) the development of orientation in the moral dimension of the game King of Deer Hunters (organized as a competition) performs ahead of the development of orientation in the moral dimension of the game Hot Potato (organized as a collaboration). Furthermore, in the research, children of Kuruczová think about the stories of unjust play situations organized by "Mrs. Teacher". Even the youngest and unoriented did not argue the evaluation of the situation as a fair authority of the teacher - which, according to Piaget's theory, could assume the key role of the criterion of obedience of authority in the heteronomous understanding of the criteria of moral evaluation. This thesis therefore answers the question of whether it can replicate these findings. Unlike Kuruczová,...

From a feminist theology of praxis the appreciative inquiry used in this research reflected on the constituting role the living of values by facilitators play in transforming the lives of children who suffer the effects of poverty, neglect and abuse. The concretisation or the living of values within the school community linked with the theme of solidarity with the marginalised. The facilitators' solidarity with children as "concrete others" became ways of doing participatory ethics. As part of a postmodern paradigm, a social constructionist discourse made it possible for therapist-researcher and participants to view the facilitators' work and the research itself as part of a relational process. Appreciative inquiry invited a reflective stance towards action, relating and personal knowledge. The research also reflected on poststructuralist theory and practice, and the power of imagination and language to re-describe of the work of facilitators. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology, with specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)