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Thesis ((M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2017. / The study explored the psychological meaning of mourning rituals in Botlokwa community, Limpopo Province. The study focused on identifying and describing the types of mourning rituals observed and performed by the participants after the loss of a loved one. Furthermore the study explored the subjective meaning the participants attach to the mourning rituals so as to identify and articulate the psychological themes embedded in the mourning rituals. A total of ten participants (male = 5; females = 5; aged between 40 and 60) were selected using the purposive sampling method. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Thematic content analysis method was used to analyse the data. The three major themes that emerged during data analysis were; a) The types of mourning rituals observed and performed after the death of a loved one; b) the subjective meaning that the bereaved attach to the mourning rituals and c) the psychological meaning embedded in the mourning rituals observed and performed after the death of a loved one. The findings of the study suggest that the mourning rituals performed by the Batlokwa people have significant psychological meanings. These include assisting the bereaved to cope with the death of a loved one, strengthening the bereaved and ensuring that the bereaved are healed and accept the death of a loved one. The study results further shows the different subjective meanings that the bereaved attach to the mourning rituals performed. Furthermore the findings of the study suggest that the participants perform mourning rituals in order to prevent them from misfortunes, illnesses, bad luck and to remove what is perceived as a “dark cloud” hanging over them after the death of a loved one. The findings further suggest that the bereaved benefit psychologically from performing the mourning rituals. One of the benefits is having to let go of the deceased with the knowledge that their loved ones’ soul is resting in peace. The study is concluded by, among others, recommending that psychologists familiarise themselves with different cultural groups and different ways of grieving and mourning within different cultures in order to better understand patients’ different mourning processes. / NIHSS scholarship

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-03T15:40:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 VivianySP_DISSERT.pdf: 549151 bytes, checksum: 1e2dd7da6b78700b33600428b516b5fa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-03-31 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / The human being has a fundamental role in issues concerning scarcity of energy resources as well as in the success of technologies which favor the use of renewable sources, such as wind energy. But what does wind energy mean for people? What are the psychological meanings concerning this term? Aiming to answer these questions, the general objective of this dissertation was to identify and to analyze the knowledge about wind energy taking into account a network of psychological meanings. One hundred and ninety one (191) university students from Natal-RN participated in the study, being male the majority (53%); aged between 17 and 51 years old (M=23.3 years; SD=5.7). Participants responded to self reports using the Natural Semantic Networks (NSW) technique, as well as to several sociodemographic questions. The results showed a consistent, positive and useful general semantic network. In this semantic network, knowledge about wind energy was represented by words that correspond to the appeal of (pro) environmental stance (e.g., clean and nature), that evinced both the technological aspect (e.g., force) and the economic aspect (e.g., economy). Results from different groups were also analyzed. The first set of groups (non-environemental and environmental) was divided considering the course (e.g., ecology and economy). The second set of groups(non-caretaker and caretaker) was divided based on the practice of environmental care expressed. Subtle differences were observed in the semantic networks of caretakers, who emphasized environment, an attribute not mentioned by non-caretakes. This indicates a construction of knowledge that is influenced by the presence or absence of the environmental commitment. Such findings may be useful in the construction of instruments for surveys and in the development of public and educational policies. Additionally, they may assist the media towards a more objective performance concerning wind energy / O ser humano tem um papel fundamental tanto nas quest?es relacionadas ? escassez dos recursos energ?ticos como no sucesso das tecnologias que favorecem o uso de fontes renov?veis, como a energia e?lica. Mas o que as pessoas entendem por energia e?lica? Quais os significados psicol?gicos atribu?dos a este termo? Para responder estas perguntas foi definido como objetivo geral da disserta??o identificar e analisar o conhecimento sobre energia e?lica a partir de uma rede de significados psicol?gicos. Participaram 191 estudantes universit?rios da cidade de Natal-RN, sendo a maioria do sexo masculino (53%), com idades variando de 17 a 51 anos (M = 23,3 anos; DP = 5,7). Esses responderam ? t?cnica de auto-relato conhecida como Redes Sem?nticas Naturais (RSN), al?m de perguntas sociodemogr?ficas. Os resultados analisados a partir de uma an?lise explorat?ria, identificaram uma rede sem?ntica geral consistente, positiva e ?til. Nela, o conhecimento sobre energia e?lica ? representado por palavras que atendem ao apelo (pr?-) ambiental (ex. limpa e natureza), que evidenciam o aspecto tecnol?gico (ex. for?a) e o aspecto econ?mico (ex. economia). Os resultados tamb?m foram analisados a partir de diferentes grupos. O primeiro bloco de grupos (n?o-ambiental e ambiental) foi dividido a partir do curso (ex. ecologia e economia). O segundo bloco de grupos (n?o-cuidadores e cuidadores), foi dividido em fun??o do n?vel de comprometimento ambiental expressado. Foram observadas diferen?as sut?s nas redes sem?nticas dos cuidadores, que, por exemplo, enfatizaram meio ambiente, atributo n?o mencionado pelos n?o-cuidadores. Isso sinaliza uma constru??o do conhecimento influenciada pela presen?a, ou aus?ncia, do comprometimento ambiental. Tais achados poder?o se mostrar ?teis na constru??o de instrumentos para survey, no desenvolvimento de pol?ticas p?blicas e educacionais, al?m de auxiliar uma atua??o mais objetiva da m?dia frente ? energia e?lica