Text in Afrikaans / Hoë werkloosheid het 'n permanente kenmerk van die moderne samelweing geword en daarom word daar huidiglik baie aandag geskenk aan die psigologiese impak van werkloosheid op die werklose persoon en sy gesin. Die teoretiese benadering van hierdie studie is dat werksverlies 'n stresvolle lewensgebeurtenis is waarvan die impak binne 'n sistemiese benadering bestudeer is. Die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode is gevolg. Die navorsingsresultate is verkry deur in-diepte onderhoude te voer met agt blanke getroude pare. Die resultate van die onderhoude is vergelyk met bestaande navorsing oor die impak van onwillekeurige werksverlies op die individu en sy gesin. Resultate dui daarop dat werksverlies 'n verpletterende ervaring is vir sommige pare terwyl dit in ander huwelikke lei tot groter intimiteit en persoonlike groei. Veranderlikes wat vir hierdie verskille verantwoordelik is, word geidentifiseer. Implikasies vir toekomstige navorsing word bespreek. / High unemployment has become a permanent feature of modern-day society. As a result there has been an increased interest in the psychological impact of involuntary job loss on the individual and his family. The theoretical appraoch of this study is that job loss is a stressful life event which is studies within the subsystem of the family. The research design is the qualitative method that was executed by conducting depth interviews with eight white couples. The results of the interviews were compared with those of previous research relating to the impact of involuntary job loss on the individual and his family. Results show that job loss is a devastating experience for some couples while other couples experience it as a opportunity for personal growth and increased intimacy in the relationship. Factors that account for these differences are identified. Implications for future research are discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Sielkundige Navorsing)

Text in Afrikaans / Hoë werkloosheid het 'n permanente kenmerk van die moderne samelweing geword en daarom word daar huidiglik baie aandag geskenk aan die psigologiese impak van werkloosheid op die werklose persoon en sy gesin. Die teoretiese benadering van hierdie studie is dat werksverlies 'n stresvolle lewensgebeurtenis is waarvan die impak binne 'n sistemiese benadering bestudeer is. Die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode is gevolg. Die navorsingsresultate is verkry deur in-diepte onderhoude te voer met agt blanke getroude pare. Die resultate van die onderhoude is vergelyk met bestaande navorsing oor die impak van onwillekeurige werksverlies op die individu en sy gesin. Resultate dui daarop dat werksverlies 'n verpletterende ervaring is vir sommige pare terwyl dit in ander huwelikke lei tot groter intimiteit en persoonlike groei. Veranderlikes wat vir hierdie verskille verantwoordelik is, word geidentifiseer. Implikasies vir toekomstige navorsing word bespreek. / High unemployment has become a permanent feature of modern-day society. As a result there has been an increased interest in the psychological impact of involuntary job loss on the individual and his family. The theoretical appraoch of this study is that job loss is a stressful life event which is studies within the subsystem of the family. The research design is the qualitative method that was executed by conducting depth interviews with eight white couples. The results of the interviews were compared with those of previous research relating to the impact of involuntary job loss on the individual and his family. Results show that job loss is a devastating experience for some couples while other couples experience it as a opportunity for personal growth and increased intimacy in the relationship. Factors that account for these differences are identified. Implications for future research are discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Sielkundige Navorsing)