M.Ed. / This research study focuses on researching the success of drama as intervention — and educational medium in the alteration of perceptions held regarding male homosexuality. The study is motivated by the fact that discrimination against males with this sexual orientation has evolved into a part of South African's everyday lives. The study is completed within the framework of the Existential paradigm. In the achievement of the above-mentioned study goal, the researcher applied the techniques of Qualitative research, and specifically used phenomenological studies according to this paradigm. The data was gathered through a variety of techniques (questionnaires, sketches and in-depth personal interviews) which enhanced the viability and reliability of the study through Triangulation. The drama, named "Die Voelverslcrikker" (with its own educational implications), was written according to the style of Absurd theatre, which projected the Existentialist philosophy in art. The drama was shown to the six people who participated in the study. Analyzing these responses gathered before the drama was seen, led to the identification of phenomenons, which were categorized. This proved to the researcher that the participants showed little insight into male homosexuality. It also enhanced the fact that negative attitudes toward male homosexuals were held. These findings justified the purpose of the study. These results were compared with the participants' responses after the play was seen, which led to conclusions regarding growth and change in insight regarding male homosexuality, bat a stagnancy in attitude towards males with this sexual orientation. These results were explained according to the Existential paradigm. In this regard the researcher mentioned fusion, the perceptual neuropsychological organization, introspection and Pragmatism. The researcher also proposes that this study presents a lot of other research opportunities.

M.A. / Social, political and economical changes in modern society, as well as the growing need for aid and assistance, have resulted in the questioning of the work procedures within the social services of the Dutch Reformed Church. This has motivated the researcher to do research on the productivity and effectiveness of the Christelik-maatskaplike raad (CMR) as a branch of the "Sinodale Kommissie vir die Diens van Barmhartigheid" of Northern Transvaal. The investigation was undertaken by identifying a strategic productivity model in the literature and applying that model to the CMR of Pretoria. A qualitative, as well as a quantitative approach has been used and the study can be described as exploratory/descriptive. The literature ·study indicated that not only physical but also human factors influence the productivity within the organisation. A description was given of the physical set-up of the organisation and of the attempts that have been made to improve productivity. It was found that a large number of these factors do indeed play a role in the organisation. The findings showed that social workers are aware of the necessary changes that must occur to create a better productivity function. Recommendations were made concerning the changes of the work procedure of the CMR, in order to improve the quality of the services rendered and to eliminate the factors that have had a detrimental influence on the productivity of the organisation.

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the Degree of Master of Science. / Recent research has highlighted the lack of information on elevated absolutely stable layers per se throughout the troposphere over the southern African subcontinent. Hence a climatology of elevated absolutely stable layers is derived for each of four predominant synoptic circulation types over Southern Africa; namely semi-permanent continental anticyclones, transient mid-latitude ridging anticyclones, westerly wave baroclinic disturbances and barotropic quasi-stationary easterly waves. The horizontal and vertical structures as well as the temporal persistence of elevated absolutely stable layers are analysed using radiosonde data from nine South African aerological stations from the period 1986-1993. In addition, a climatology is derived for the mid-winter stability maximum, during the month of July from 1989-1993, in order to gain greater insights into the influence of anticyclonic circulation on the elevated absolutely stable layers. Four non-surface stable layers are identified over the country, at approximately the 800 hPa, 700 hPa, 500 hPa and 300 hPa levels. The lower of these layer occurs only over the coastal regions. All of the discontinuities exhibit a high degree of persistence and appear to be rapidly reconstructed subsequent to synoptic scale disturbances. The presence of these layers has obvious implications for local as well as global pollution transport, since stable discontinuities trap pollutants below their bases and act as upper air boundaries. As a consequence, global-scale transport of aerosols and trace gases in the free air is controlled to a large degree by these discontinuities. Greater insights into the mechanisms controlling such large-scale transport are essential in ascertaining southern Africa's contribution to greenhouse gas concentrations. Moreover, the persistence and strength of the discontinuities have implications for rainfall over the subcontinent, with the lower layers in particular acting as a vertical boundary to turbulence and mixing, and thus hindering the development of convective precipitation. / AC 2018

This study is an exploration of contextual environmental learning through integrated life skills and literacy in a Foundation Phase classroom. It attempts to document, explore and clarify some of the challenges of situated environmental learning in a Foundation Phase classroom through an integrated program of life skills learning and literacy acquisition. The research draws on a rich but often overlooked cultural historical context of embodied intergenerational healthy living practices in a rural Eastern Cape context to construct a learning platform for a more carefully situated and potentially relevant education. The integrated life skills and literacy acquisition program thus unfolded as a contextual process of situated learning within a developing blend of listening, writing and reading to learn in a Grade 3 program of additive bilingualism. The data generated in the study and represented in Chapter 4 suggests curriculum contextualisation in an integrated Foundation Phase program can contribute to environmental learning with enhanced relevance and literacy skills. The evidence from working with learner knowledge and experience in a community context appears to be a key to meaningful curriculum contextualization in an integrated Foundation Phase programme producing enhanced literacy and relevance. It was noted that engaging elders (gogos) enabled the process of opening up local knowledge to link with learner experience and school knowledge to foster relevance, appeared to contribute to more meaningful learning across other learning areas. There is evidence that acquiring literacy skills is a lengthy process that is supported by learner interest and the relevance of what they are learning especially when it is acknowledged by the teacher and the community. The findings of an exploratory study such as this cannot be conclusive beyond the experience that I had of working with learners who were engaged in learning as well as acquiring literacy skills literacy skills. My personal enthusiasm and work with the Gogos and with a community focus were key factors that strengthened environmental learning across school, home and community. The experience has convinced me that this is the way we must work to enhance relevance and literacy in our Foundation Phase teaching.

M.Litt. et Phil. / Divorce has become a widespread phenomenon in modern society. The high divorce figures indicate a change of attitude in society. Today divorce has become a highly probable and accepted event with fewer stigmas attached to it. For children, the divorce of their parents is a totally unplanned life event over which they have little or no control. It can therefore be defined as a non-normative idiosyncratic life event. This event inevitably leads to stress and can have certain deleterious, but also positive, effects on children. The specific effects that a child experiences will be determined by an interaction of variables, viz. his personality and temperament, the environment and his family home. Riegel (1975) states that development evolves out of crises which can therefore be constructive and have significant meaning. If the child can adapt and work through the event of divorce constructively the divorce can lead to growth, and not necessarily to stagnation and more problems. In the litigation of custody some development has taken place. Traditionally, young children were placed in the custody of their mothers, and the judges who did the assignments depended on information which was obtained from the parents. This resulted in decisions which were not always in the best interests of the children. To assist the judges in the placement of children, family advocates were appointed, thus fulfilling the requirements of the Act on Mediation in Certain Divorce Matters, (Act 24 of 1987). The task of the family advocate is to act as a watchdog on behalf of minors who have been subjected to divorce and subsequent litigation over custody disputes. Custody disputes cause tension and uncertainty for the children involved. The family advocate ensures that the children are exposed to as little disruption as possible during the litigation process, and also sees to it that the proposed ruling in connection with the children is in their best interests. The motivation for this research stems from the developments which have taken place regarding the placement of children after divorce where a custody dispute erupts, as well as those regarding the functions and purpose of the family advocate in the process. Questions can be raised as to whether the system of family advocates succeeds in its primary aim to act on behalf of the children, and whether the children involved in a custody dispute are not subjected to more stress as a result of the litigation. As few study regarding these questions has been done and many new questions have evolved, an exploratory study was conducted on the subject. The aim of this study was to evaluate children with respect to three variables, namely, 1) positive self regard 2) loyalty conflict between biological parents 3) depression. These evaluations were done on three groups, namely, 1) children in a nuclear family, 2) children in a single-parent family where divorce had occurred, and 3) children in a family where a custody dispute had taken place. A non-experimental method of research was used. To test the specific hypotheses the following test instruments were used: Bene-Anthony family relations, Draw a Person Test (D.A.P.), and Draw a Family Test (D.A.F.). The conclusions of the study are, firstly, that children in nuclear families do have higher self regard than children from single-parent divorced families, but these latter, in turn, do not have higher self regard than those from custody dispute families. Furthermore, children from nuclear families do not have less loyalty conflict than children from single-parent divorced families, but these latter do have less loyalty conflict than those from custody dispute families. Finally, children from nuclear families do suffer less from depression • than children from single-parent divorced families, but these latter do not have less depression than those from custody dispute families. As this was merely an exploratory study only tendencies can be deduced from the results. Further studies will require larger and better controlled samples. Further research and development in the field of custody litigation is necessary so that the whole family, and especially the children, can use this life crisis as an opportunity for growth.

D.Litt. et Phil. / A problematic aspect of the latter half of the twentieth century in the South African health context, has been the change of the incidence of hypertension amongst black South Africans from being barely. endemic to being a virtual epidemic. This change in hypertension has had several negative components, notably the development of malignant hypertension wherein a markedly accelerated rate of development in hypertension has led to severely high incidences of morbidity and mortality amongst black South Africans notably in urban areas. Many researchers have cited the rapid process of urbaniztion as being the major cause, of this rapid rise in the relative incidence of hypertension amongst black South Africans. Whereas previously, the rapid rise of hypertension in urbanizing black South Africans has been attributed to the social readjustment, associated with urbanization, recent research have suggested that it is not only stressrelated, but also related to a change in basic lifestyle. Basic lifestyle changes have been found to include a change in work ethic from being a rural, cooperative work ethic, to being an urbanized firstworld type A, aggressive, competitive workstyle. This has led also to changes in eating habits with the ingestion of more salt, fats and oils, and has led to a hurried, but non exercised lifestyle. Because of the rapid increase of incidence of hypertension amongst black South Africans, the treatment of this condition has become problematic~ While black South Africans do not respond as well to traditional pharmacological interventions in this condition, they also show side-effects which make it very difficult for them to continue taking this medication. The cost aspects have also been noted to be prohibitively high and the availability of medicines because of the cost aspects has been projected to decline in the coming century. For this reason it would be "important to address other adjunctive measures to treat hypertension amongst black South Africans. In addition to standard harmacological interventions , it appears that there has been mention in the Iiterature of. lifestyle changes to be an efficacious intervention method in stabilizing and reducing blood pressure amongst hypertensives. This has however not been investigated individually or systematically amongst black South Africans. It was therefore the purpose of this study to investigate the effectiveness of lifestyle intervention programs, notably an aerobic exercise intervention, a dietary intervention, and an intervention to increase assertiveness and therefore reduce the aggressiveness associated with the competitive working style acquired by black South Africans. In order to test the efficacy of these treatment measures, a large group of black mineworkers were selected on a basis of meeting the diagnostic criteria for essential hypertension. These black mineworkers were then systematically sUbjected to an aerobic exercise intervention, a dietary intervention, and anger management by means of assertiveness training. Various measures were performed on a pretest and posttest basis. All three interventions were shown to have moderate efficacy. It was found that aerobic exercise, the dietary intervention and the anger management to be associated with a decline in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and to be associated with a reduction in the taking of hypertensive medication as ordered by the attending physicians. The aerobic exercise intervention also indicated that black South African mineworkers are relatively unfit and a ch~nge in fitness resulted in a decline in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The dietary intervention proved to be efficient in terms of changing lifestyle eating habits. Of note is the fact that there was a substantial decrease in the taking of medication when compared to a· control group. It would appear from this research that the specific forms of lifestyle change in black hypertensives noted in this study would be an efficient adjunct or even a substitute for present treatment of hypertension amongst black mineworkers.

M.A. / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects between 1% and 20% of school-aged children. Many aspects of the disorder remain largely speculative including the treatment of it, and often these children experience significant learning, social and emotional difficulties from their childhood years through to adulthood. Pharmacological treatment of the disorder has gained wide acceptance and it has achieved much success in bringing about positive short-term changes in the behaviours of such children. However the long-term efficacy of medication still remains questionable and many children do not respond well to or do not tolerate such treatment. The use of psychological interventions for this condition has not received as much support as that of medication. While research shows that some psychological approaches have virtually no effect others have shown limited benefits. Taking into account the previous research conducted into the benefits of the psychological treatment of ADHD and through examining the limitations of these approaches, the present research aims to establish an effective psychological intervention in the treatment of this condition. This intervention follows the format of a Parent-training based Cognitive-Behavioural programme making use of Barkley's theory that Behavioural Inhibition is the central impairment in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Therefore the hypotheses of this research are twofold. Firstly, that psychological interventions can make a positive contribution to the treatment of this condition and secondly, that this parent-training based cognitive-behavioural progra

D.Litt. et Phil. / In recent research studies that have been done within the cadre of family sociology, researchers have emphasised the fact that the role of the man in the family is an important topic. This interest in the role of the husband/father has been facilitated by significant trends and changes of our time, manifesting world-wide, as well as in South Africa. These trends, such as the continuous rise in the rate of married women entering the labour market and the accompanying issues raised by changes in terms of the spouses' participation in household and childcare responsibilities, affect family life extensively. More researchers and theorists are now focussing on the shift from the man's role in the family as sole breadwinner to that of the active nurturant father within the context of a marital relationship characterised by companionship and an equal partnership between the spouses. For several decades the focus in South Africa, as in the case of other countries, fell on the increasing interface between work and family life, within the work/family spillover model, as experienced by the working married woman and how her marital and familial relationships are influenced by it. While it is clear from these research results, especially from those studies conducted in South Africa, that most men are no longer the sole or primary breadwinner in the family, it is less clear what new patterns of commitment and involvement these men are developing with regard to their family life. A related methodological shortcoming of sociological research on the husband/father role to date is that much of these research projects have relied on the wife/mother's report on her husband's attitude towards domestic responsibilities, his spousal and paternal conduct and the quality of the father-child relationship. As a result of this perspective on the changing role of the husband/father, the question arose as to what the situation in South Africa might be. The aim of this research was to shed light on the man's perception of his roles as husband and father in the dual-earner family and to what extent this perception may or may not stand in relationship to his experience of marital integration. In this quantitative research project the respondents were selected from the Gauteng area by means of purposive and snowball sampling.

M.A. / Although all forms of apartheid control legislation have been repealed and the Constitution and Bill of Rights adopted, it is questionable in what way these principles of equality and non-discrimination are effectively implemented and whether changes have occurred in practice. Chapter one therefore provides an overview of the study. The discussion of legislation viz. the Constitution, the Equality Clause and Employment Equity Act urges the elimination of discrimination and the implementation of equality. The legacy of policing also provides the challenge to change. Several SAPS policies and directives such as the SAPS Policy Document on Affirmative Action and Fundamental Equality Directives in theory indicate the movement towards change and initiatives to implement equality and eliminate discrimination. It is therefore impressive to have legislation, policies and directives, but the question is in what way these are effectively being implemented and whether one can notice a change in the actual behaviour of police officials. Equality and non-discrimination, which are at the heart of effective policing, underpin good community and human relations. It is important to assess in what way the SA police culture and working climate have changed from a traditional partisan and discriminatory approach to a service provider that celebrates diversity and human rights. The research therefore investigates in what way the rhetoric of equality and non-discrimination have been implemented and its effect on individuals in a policing environment. The perceived gap between policy legislation and reality in practice was a further motivational aspect of the study, as policy alone will not ensure the implementation of equality principles. The goal and objectives of the study narrow the focus and the presentation of definitions provides further clarity. The research nature for this study was primarily explorative, and also descriptive. The goal of the study was to explore and describe police officials' experience and behaviour in the implementation of equality and the elimination of discriminatory practices in the working environment at police station level during the period 1996-7. This research was primarily of a qualitative nature and a single embedded case study design strategy was used. The unit /item of analysis or sampling element was police officials working under the jurisdiction of one specific police station in Gauteng. The demographic profile and characteristics of the police officials in the study sample was presented and analysed quantitatively (SSPS descriptive statistics according to frequency counts and cross tabulations) and achieved the first secondary objective of exploring and describing the level of representivity at the police station being studied. A non-probability sampling method - based on convenience and reliance on available subjects - was the primary sampling strategy used. Other secondary types of sampling used in this study were snowball or chain, confirming and disconfirming cases, opportunistic, and a combination or mixed strategies.

In South Africa access to mental healthcare resources is restricted for a number of reasons including language barriers that prevent suitable communication between mental healthcare professionals and African language speaking South Africans. The translation of psychometric tools into African languages has been identified as one method in improving access to psychological services for African language speakers. The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) has demonstrated its clinical utility within the United Kingdom (UK) National Healthcare Service (NHS) as a standardised psychotherapy outcome measure that evaluates the degree of psychological distress individuals present with at the start of psychotherapy treatment, and the degree of change that has been effected at the termination of therapy. A measure like the CORE-OM holds valuable clinical utility for the South African context. This thesis argues that the availability of a valid Xhosa version of the CORE-OM would allow for improved access to psychotherapy resources for Xhosa speaking individuals, and allow for the evaluation of the effectiveness of psychotherapy interventions conducted in Xhosa. The CORE-OM developers have provided a translation design and set of guidelines to standardise the translation of the CORE-OM into different languages. However this thesis argues that these guidelines are incomplete. Instead International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines are recommended as a culturally sensitive method to supplement current CORE-OM translation guidelines, in order to generate a valid Xhosa measure of distress. A mixed methods approach is applied which first investigates the construct equivalence and bias of the CORE-OM English version within a South African student population sample, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in order to establish the degree of adaptation required to generate a valid Xhosa version of distress. Next the CORE-OM English version is translated into Xhosa using the five-stage translation design prescribed by the CORE System Trust, supplemented by ITC guidelines. All changes made to the CORE-OM during translation into Xhosa are documented. The CORE-OM Xhosa version is then investigated for reliability and validity. This investigation reveals low internal reliability within the subjective wellbeing domain indicating that these items are less meaningful as depictions of distress within the Xhosa language. A reduced version of the CORE-OM demonstrates strong psychometric properties as a valid Xhosa measure of distress.