D.Phil. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. / Today's adolescents are more sexurally active than those of previous generations, hence the high incident of early childbearing in most societies worldwide. In South Africa the problem seems to be widespread as it occurs among all cultural and ethnic groups, in rural, as well as in the urban arears, with teenage births constituiting 12% of the country's births. Among lower socio-economic groups, teenage childbearing in South Africa has been precipitated by years of disrupted schooling which has not only affected education, but sexual behaviour as well. In rural Venda, adolescent childbearing could be symtomatic of a breakdown of social order. Sex education has always been of pivotal concern in the development of a Muvenda girl. Upon reaching menarche, the girls would undergo the compulsory pubescence ritual. vhusha. Vhusha does not seem to be surviving the influence of modernization. This is evident from the poor attendance of this ritual, which is being abandoned without being replaced. There is therefore a need to develop a modern culture-friendly psychoeducationa prom-amme for the prevention of teenage pregnancy in rural Venda. This study is aimed at developing such a programme, and furthermore evaluate its effectiveness. The field experiment Before and After control (Pretest-Posttest) design has been used. The experimental intervention (a programme titled: VHUSHA), comprised sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes and career guidance. A questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument for the variables: sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes and future career goals awareness. At posttest, the experimental group showed a significant improvement with regard to sexual attitudes and future career goals awareness in comparison to the control group. VHUSHA has therefore been effective in this regard. Findings of this study showed no significant difference between the two groups with regard to sexual knowledge. This minimal improvement was primarily attributed to the researcher's being part of a culture that lacks openness in communicating sexual knowledge.

Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the intersection of disability and gender: being intellectually disabled and being a young woman. It specifically, explores the lives of intellectually disabled young women and sexuality. This study attempts to explore the contributions that intellectually disabled young women can make to the understanding of the sexuality needs and concerns of young women with intellectual disability. It is an attempt to make public their needs and concerns regarding sexuality issues as they have been recognised to be the ultimate lost voices in disability research, and have historically been excluded in the production of sexuality knowledge. A mixed method approach is used, where the data for the research was produced during interviews with 21 participants between the ages of 18 and 23. A focus group discussion was also held. All the women were either current learners or past learners at a school for “mentally handicapped learners”. Ten mothers were interviewed with regard to their views on sexuality and their intellectually disabled daughters. A questionnaire was given to 12 teachers to complete as well. Involving mothers and teachers is an attempt to establish the dominant views of the significant persons and professionals in the lives of these young women, including those who are directly and indirectly responsible for their sexuality education. In interviews and the focus group, study participants discussed the various social messages they receive, as intellectually disabled persons, with regard to domains of sexuality: friendship, dating, and marriage. The participants gave insight into the levels of their knowledge with regards to sex and sexuality education, menstruation, contraception, pregnancy and childbirth, and sexually transmitted infections. The young women shared their predominantly negative experiences of being stereotyped, with some participants expressing their resentment. Their low levels of social, biological, and physiological sexuality knowledge make appropriate sexuality education a priority. The study concludes with recommendations regarding the type of sexuality education the young women propose and suggested responses for special schools. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie focus op die kruispad van gestremdheid en geslag: om intellektueel gestremd en om ‘n jong vrou te wees. Dit ondersoek spesifiek die lewens van intellektuele gestremde jong vroue en seksualitiet. Hierdie studie poog om die bydraes te verken wat intellektueel gestremde jong vrouens kan maak om die seksualiteitsbehoeftes en bekommernisse van jong vrouens met intellektuele gestremdheid te verstaan. Dit is ‘n poging om hulle behoeftes en bekommernisse oor seksualitiet hoorbaar te maak omdat dit as die opperste verlore stem in navorsing oor gestremdheid uitgewys is, en hulle histrories van die generering van kennis oor seksualitiet uitgesluit is. Die benadering is ‘n gemengde metode waartydens data vir die navorsing gedurende onderhoude met 21 deelnemers tussen die ouderdomme van 18 en 23 jaar gegenereer is. ‘n Fokusgreopbespreking is ook gehou. Al die vroue is òf huidige òf vorige leerders van ‘n skool vir “versatndelike gestremde leerders”. Onderhode is met tien moeders gevoer ten opsigste van hulle beskouings oor seksualitiet en hulle verstandelik gestremde dogters. ‘n Vraelys is ook vir 12 onderwysers gegee om te voltooi. Die moeders en onderwysers is betrek in ‘n poging om die heersende beskouings van die betekenisvolle persone en professionele mense in die lewens van hierdie jong vrouens te bepaal, insluitend diegene vat direk en indirek vir hulle seksualiteitsopvoeding verantwoordelik is. Tydens die onderhoude en fokusgroepbespreking het die deelnemers aan die studie die onderskeie social boodskappe wat hulle as verstandelik gestremde persone kry, bespreek met verwysing na die domeine van seksualitiet: vriendskap, uitgaan en die huwelik. Die deelnemers het lig gewerp op hulle vlakke van kennis oor seks en seksualiteitsonderrig, mesntuasie, voorbehoeding, swangerskap en kindergeboorte, en seksueel oordraagbare infeksies. Die jong vroue het hul oorwegend negatiewe ervarings van stereotipering gedeel, en sommige deelnemers het hulle afkeer uitgespreek. Hulle lae vlakke van sosiale, biologiese en fisiologiese kennis van seksualiteit maak toepaslike seksualiteitsvoorligting ‘n prioriteit. Die studie sluit af met aanbevelings oor die tipe seksualiteitsopvoeding wat die jong vroue voorstel en stel wyses voor waarop spesiale skole kan reageer.

M.Cur. / The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the role of significantothers in sex education of the Vha-Venda youth and to describe principles of managing sex education of the youth by community nurses. The researcher's view was that if sexuality education of the youth was done effectively, the youth might acquire the necessary knowledge of sex that would help them to deal with the social, physical and emotional demands of sexuality as they occur. This could reduce the high level of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among the youth. An exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was followed to achieve the aim of this study. Data was obtained from the youth, parents, guardians community nurses through focus group interviews. The main categories that emerged from the process of data analysis are as follows: The content of sex information given to the youth, the role of significant others in sex education of the youth, strategies that are used in providing sex education to the youth and obstacles in providing sex education to the youth. The results of this study show that the content of sexuality information given to the youth is not adequate. The role of significant others in sexuality education of the youth was found to be educating, guiding, advising and listening to the youth when talking about sexuality issues. Mothers and teachers were identified to be the people mostly involved in sexuality education of the youth. The study also revealed that sexuality' education of the Vha-Venda Youth is started very late in a child's life. Non effective strategies of providing sexuality information are used by parents and guardians. All three groups of respondents identified common obstacles in providing sexuality education of the youth. The results of this study and literature control were used as the basis for description of principles of managing sexuality education of the youth effectively by the community nurses . Recommendations ensuing from this study are that community nurses should involve themselves in assessment of need for help and assist the youth and parents, particularly mothers and teachers according to their needs. Nursing curricula should include guidelines on sexuality education and facilitation of parent's role as primary sexuality educators of their own children. The findings of this study can be considered for designing in-service education programs for community nurses and the curriculum for the training of community nurses in under and post graduate level. Further research needs to be done to assess if the principles described in this study are effective in managing sexuality education of the youths.