D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Children do not exist in isolation of their families and communities. Grief and loss therefore affect them on multiple levels, depending on their personal, social, communal, cultural and economic circumstances. The loss of one or both parents to AIDS in South Africa renders orphaned children and adolescents vulnerable. In addition their grief experiences are influenced by the personal, cultural and communal factors which determine how their feelings of grief and loss are understood and expressed. In certain contexts and cultures, their stories of grief and loss remain unheard and unacknowledged. In many instances, these stories are tucked away in the open spaces and silences of their thoughts and expressions. The purpose of this inquiry is to explore, through creative expressive arts in therapy, the stories of grief of adolescents orphaned by AIDS living in a South African children’s home. This critical ethnographic study describes how a qualitative arts based research method was used to integrate creative expressive arts modalities into therapy sessions as a method of data collection for the study. As such, the critical ethnographic design was employed in order to give attention to the cultural context of the 16 adolescent participants and how this context influenced their sharing of their grief experiences, following the loss of one or both parents to AIDS. This was done in order to answer the research question: ‘What is the story of grief as experienced by the adolescents orphaned by AIDS living in a South African children’s home, as explored through creative expressive arts in therapy?’ In light of this, the research aim of the study was to give an ethnographic account of grief as experienced by adolescents orphaned by AIDS living in a South African children’s home, as explored through creative expressive arts in therapy. Group therapy sessions using creative expressive arts facilitated the development of various data sets which were analysed by means of discourse analysis, in order to derive common themes relating to their stories of grief and loss. The adolescents storied their thoughts and feelings about grief in therapy, through creative expressive arts modalities, demonstrating how their bereavement is impacted by the personal, cultural and social context of the South African children’s home in which they live. The findings and practical implications of this qualitative, critical ethnography provide insight into the grief experienced by South African adolescents orphaned by AIDS. This research endeavour will also expose some of the underlying assumptions about grief of adolescents who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. The study will also indicate how their v life circumstances and grief experiences are subject to elements of power, control and even religious orientation in their culture and community. In order to give voice to the grief experiences of children and adolescents as forgotten mourners, recommendations advocate further research be conducted on the grief experiences of adolescents orphaned by AIDS in South Africa. This can be done in the form of in-depth case studies or larger studies which make use of one or more creative expressive arts modalities in therapy.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The influence of the HIV and AIDS pandemic has had a detrimental effect on the lives of children and adolescents affected by it in that the disease has caused the loss of their parents or parental support. The result of the HIV and AIDS pandemic has seen an increase in the number of children and adolescents living in child-headed households. Research shows that children living in child-headed households may be at risk both in a socio-economical and educational manner. There is a concern that children living in child-headed households may also be affected developmentally, especially with regard to development into adulthood. Psychosocial developmental theory of an individual posits that there is an interaction between social and psychological factors which is to say that an individual’s culture, values, beliefs, attitudes and feelings are all involved in how an individual develops into an adult. This research study aims at exploring the psychosocial developmental experiences of Grade 10 learners from child-headed households. A phenomenological multiple case study design was used to gain an in-depth understanding of four cases. This design was descriptive and exploratory in nature. The data collection methods used included semi-structured individual interviews and collages with four purposefully selected participants, and a focus group interview with a separate group of participants from similar circumstances. The data was subjected to content analysis so as to explore emerging themes as related to the psychosocial developmental experiences of the participants. The findings revealed that the psychosocial developmental experiences of the participants can be described by three themes, namely psychological experiences, social experiences and educational experiences. The sub-themes that emerged demonstrate that these participants have a generally positive outlook on life and the future. The participants demonstrated a desire for a better life and felt that getting a good education would stand them in good stead to reach their dreams and goals. Despite this positive outlook, findings also indicated that there is a need for psychological and social support for learners in child-headed households. As such it is recommended that support systems such as mentors and educational psychologists are implemented in school and community environments.