In a study of psychological well-being, the researcher attempted to address the challenge of preventing mental illness and promoting mental health using an educational psychological perspective based on Unisa's Relations Theory. According to Relations Theory, humans are understood by the relationships they form. The intra-psychic interaction of the components of the intra-psychic structure (I/ego, self, identity and self-concept) is responsible for people's behaviour, with the essences (attachment of meaning, involvement, experience and self-actualising) and the prerequisites (the forming of relations , the life-world and climate) forming the basis of the structure. The researcher developed and administered a questionnaire on psychological well-being and conducted interviews, and on the basis of the findings reports that psychological well-being from an educational psychological perspective consists of a healthy and positive ego and self, clearly defined identities, positive thoughts and feelings, involvement in the life world, a positive and realistic self-concept and constructive self-talk, and self-realisation. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

This study investigated the relationship between leadership style and group processes and dynamics with due consideration of the role of related systems in the context of organisational change. The theoretical assumptions and practical implications of the full range model of leadership were discussed. This model emphasises the transactional-transformational paradigm. In addition, approaches to studying and working with groups were covered, focusing specifically on group processes and group dynamics. In the case of the latter, the systems psychodynamic perspective was emphasised. The present study was conducted in a plant of a South African production organisation that had been experiencing transformation. An intervention was done at management level to identify behavioural and operational issues and to sensitise the members of the management team in terms of individual and group functioning. The conceptualisation of leadership styles in terms of the full range model of leadership was largely supported by means of associations with certain personality traits and behaviours. The latter also provided a profile of desired characteristics, especially in terms of interpersonal styles and work and social ethics. The theory on group processes and dynamics was used to explore group and organisational functioning. The context of change and the related insecurity resulted in efforts to deal with anxiety by means of excessive reliance on structure. Centralised leadership and a dynamic of control and dependency characterised all levels of the organisation. Cooperation in an interdependent manner was therefore problematic and there was also a struggle in terms of interrelatedness in and between systems. The unconscious defence strategy was related to the general reliance on transactional behaviours and the lack of authorisation of leadership in terms of transformational behaviours. Despite the successful application of theory in the present study and the contribution made by the results, it was concluded that the uniqueness and the realities of each situation need to be explored and provided for, and a system should be allowed to determine the progression in the system. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / The goal of this study is to understand the phenomenon of self mutilation by adolescents, with whom there is no developmental or mental barrier, from an educational-psychological perspective. A literature study was undertaken to investigate the nature, classification, causes and treatment of self mutilation, as well as the Educational Psychological Relations Theory. The self mutilation of adolescents was placed within the Educational Psychological Relations Theory framework. The research results showed that selfmutilation, with adolescents with whom there is no developmental or mental barrier, is a symptom of disharmonic intra- and interpsychic processes, as it is understood within the Educational Psychological Relations Theory. Self mutilation is used as a coping mechanism to regulate unpleasant emotional experiences. The empirical study also showed that an impoverished educational climate contributes to the development of self mutilation by adolescents. / Die doel van hierdie studie is om die verskynsel van selfmutilering by adolessente, by wie daar nie ontwikkelings- of geestesgestremdheid aanwesig is nie, vanuit 'n opvoedkundig-sielkundige perspektief te verstaan. Aan die hand van die literatuurstudie is die aard, klassifisering, oorsake en behandeling van selfmutilering, asook die Opvoedkundig-Sielkundige Relasieteorie verken. Die Opvoedkundig-Sielkundige Relasieteorie is as raamwerk gebruik waarbinne die verskynsel van selfmutilering by adolessente ondersoek is. Die navorsingsresultate het aan die lig gebring dat selfmutilering, by adolessente by wie daar nie geestes- of ontwikkelingsgestremdheid teenwoordig is nie, 'n simptoom is van disharmoniese intra- en interpsigiese gebeure soos dit verstaan word binne die Opvoedkundig-Sielkundige Relasieteorie. Selfmutilering word gebruik as 'n verdedigingsmeganisme waarmee onaangename belewinge gereguleer word. Die empiriese studie het ook getoon dat 'n onbevredigende opvoedingsklimaat 'n groot bydrae lewer tot die ontwikkeling van selfmutilering by adolessente. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialiation in Guidance and Counseling)

Text in Afrikaans / During her theoretical training as an educational psychologist, the researcher became acquainted with the relations theory. The researcher became aware of the fact that persons who have experienced psychological trauma, commonly practice irrational inner dialogue/self talk. From her own experience, it also became clear that traumatized persons deal with their trauma more effectively when they have good relations with others. Due to the fact that these aspects are significant aspects of the relations theory, the researcher began to wonder whether this theory could possibly be of value in therapy with traumatized persons. On the basis of a qualitative study of limited scope, it was found that, with certain reservations, the educational psychological relations theory could be a workable theory in therapy and that relations therapy could make a valuable contribution to the success of therapy with traumatized persons. / In die loop van haar teoretiese opleiding as opvoedkundige sielkundige het die navorser kennis gemaak met die relasieteorie. Die navorser het bewus geword van die feit dat mense wat 'n sielkundige trauma in hulle lewens beleef het, oor die algemeen irrasionele selfspraak beoefen. Na aanleiding van haar eie ervaring, het dit ook duidelik geword dat getraumatiseerde persone meer effekttef deur hulle trauma kan werk indien hulle relasies toereikend is. Omdat hierdie aspekte juis baie gewig dra in die relasieteorie, het die navorser begin wonder of die relasieteorie nie moontlik van waarde kan wees in terapie met getraumatiseerdes nie. Op grond van 'n kwaiitatiewe studie van beperkte omvang is daar bevind dat, met sekere voorbehoude, die opvoedkundig-sielkundige relasieteorie wel 'n werkbare teorie in terapie kan wees en dat relasieterapie 'n waardevolle bydrae tot die sukses van terapie met getraumatiseerdes kan iewer. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

This dissertation reports on the lived experiences of four child psychiatric nurses. The territory of child psychiatric nursing is explored in this investigation through the punctuation of many voices within this field of study. The methodology of the investigation is descriptive phenomenology and Colaizzis’ steps in descriptive phenomenology (map) are used to discover and describe the different template theories (the territory) that are unique to each of the four child psychiatric nurses who were interviewed. Following this, a story is punctuated, which is referred to as the structural synthesis. It is the heartbeat of the investigation. The dissertation concludes by reflecting on the paradox of how the invisibility of the child psychiatric nurses allowed for the visibility of the dissertation and encourages the reader to ask pivotal questions about the important role of the child psychiatric nurse, working as part of a multidisciplinary team, in order to improve patient care. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om die aard en negatiewe gevolge van die verlies- en treurproses te ondersoek, en riglyne daar te stel vir die terapeutiese hantering van die verlies- en treurproses. Aan die hand van ‘n literatuurstudie is die aard, gevolge en terapie-benaderings met betrekking tot die verlies- en treurproses bestudeer. Die Opvoedkundig-sielkundige Relasieteorie is verken, en is as raamwerk in ’n empiriese studie gebruik. Die hantering van die verlies- en treurproses is kwalitatief ondersoek. Deur terapeutiese intervensie in drie deelnemers se verlies- en treurproses, is insig verkry met die oog op die samestelling van ’n terapieprogram, sowel as vir riglyne vir die terapeut en die kliënt. Ek het wegbeweeg van navorsing wat primêr beskrywend van aard is en op diagnostiese oorwegings fokus, na raamwerke waar intervensie-strategieë en spesifieke tegnieke gebruik kan word wanneer die terapeut en die kliënt betrokke is in deurlopende psigoterapie. Die navorsingsresultate toon dat dit belangrik is om nie slegs op die verlies te fokus nie, maar ook op onopgeloste kwessies wat vantevore in die kliënt se lewe plaasgevind het. Insig en kennis van hulleself, hul verhoudings, verdedigingsmeganismes, emosies, denke en gedrag, en die invloed wat dit op hulle verlies- en treurproses het, was nodig sodat die kliënte hul ongewenste aangeleerde gedrag kon wysig, om sodoende hulleself beter te verstaan in die hantering van hulle verlies en die treurproses. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and negative consequenses of, and to set guidelines for the therapeutic handling of the loss and grief process. A literature study was undertaken to determine the nature, consequences, and therapeutic techniques, with regard to the loss and grief process, based on Psychological Relations theory. By means of therapeutic intervention in the three participants’ loss and grief processes, I gained insight to compose a therapeutic programme, as well as therapeutic guidelines and intervention strategies and specific techniques that can be used when the therapist and the client are involved in continuous psychotherapy. The results of the study indicated that it is important to focus on unresolved issues that happened earlier in the client’s life. Insight in the person as a whole, is required to be able to understand themselves better in the handling of their loss and the grieving process. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Although addiction is treated by means of different treatment programmes in South Africa, the researcher discovered that the level of self-actualization and changes in addicts relationships, are questionable. A preliminary literature review indicated that the family of origin could be the cause of addiction. The above prompted the researcher to compile a treatment programme that addresses the family of origin as a cause of addiction. The treatment programme was divided into three phases. Phases one and two were included to provide therapists with guidelines on how to assist clients to reach abstinence, as well as how to function effectively in their life-worlds, while phase three addressed the family of origin as a cause of addiction. The family systems and relations theories served as the theoretical framework of the study. Phase three of the treatment programme was implemented by therapists during an empirical investigation to determine the effectiveness of the treatment programme. / Teacher Education / D Ed. (Psychology of Education)

In a golden era for comic based media, this paper uses the hypothetical emergence of superheroes to analyze the assumptions and predictions of three international relations theories: realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Comics consistently reflect the real world, paralleling events and concepts discussed in foreign affairs dialogues. The thought experiment, and the comic genre itself, provides a vehicle for thinking broadly about the political and social ramifications of successful or failed problem solving, state interaction, and scientific advances.

This dissertation seeks to conceptualise and operationalise the concept of soft balancing in international relations by articulating a “theory of tripartite strategic balancing” which is applicable to both international and regional unipolar systems. It has a twofold purpose: one theoretical and the other empirical. First, it seeks to develop a theory of tripartite strategic balancing which encompasses three forms of strategic balancing: internal, external, and soft balancing. The second part seeks to test the theory’s utility in explaining international political outcomes in the post-Cold War international system. In particular, it seeks to ascertain whether and how “second-tier great powers” have strategically balanced against the United States on a global level since the end of the Cold War. The analyses will focus largely on the foreign policies of Russia and France – the chief soft balancers. However, this dissertation also seeks to extend the concept of soft balancing into the regional level of analysis by examining whether and how minor-regional powers soft balance against regional unipolar leaders. For instance, it will examine whether and how the Russian Federation has been soft balanced against by states in the “European Near Abroad.” The analyses will focus primarily on the foreign policies of Poland – the chief soft balancer in the region. The dissertation will employ three in-depth case studies – the Kosovo Crisis (1999), the Iraqi wars (1991-2003), and the Georgia Crisis (2008) – to verify whether or not tripartite strategic balancing is actually occurring as the theory predicts. It will heavily rely on sources and interviews conducted during my time working at the United Nations Security Council and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These findings seek to contribute a more nuanced strand of thinking to the realist paradigm in international relations, and they offer practical implications for both US and Russian foreign policymaking.

The Sino-Soviet Split of the late 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s was a multidimensional crisis of nationalism, national interests, domestic politics, personal problems, cultural differences, border issues, Soviet-American détente, communication misunderstanding, and different interpretations of ideology. The goal of this diploma thesis is to analyse the important domestic and foreign factors which contributed to the worsening of Sino-Soviet relations. In this interdisciplinary study, the author wants to over bridge the differences between Diplomatic History and International Relations Theory, the subfields of History and Political Science. In the first part, there is an analysis of current Sino-Soviet Split historiography (Lorenz Lüthi, Sergey Radchenko, Xia Yafeng, Austin Jersild) by using theories of International Relations (liberalism, realism and constructivism). The second part provides a historical description of the Sino-Soviet Split. Emphasis is placed on the Chinese side and especially regarding the role of Mao Zedong. This thesis focuses on the period between 1958 and 1964, nevertheless it is neccessary to include preceding and subsequent phases of the relations. It is essential due to cultural, ideological and national factors. These factors endured a long time and it would be impossible to...