In hierdie studie word stiefma’s en die mites wat daar oor stiefma’s bestaan, ondersoek. Dit word gedoen in die postfundamentele praktiese teologie en volgens die narratiewe benadering. Die studie word ook gedoen in die sosiaal-konstruksionistiese paradigma. Vier stiefma’s se unieke verhale oor stiefma-wees word weergegee. Nadat die stories geinterpreteer is, is diskoerse vasgestel wat ‘n invloed het op die mites wat daar oor stiefma’s bestaan. Daar word onder andere gekyk na sprokies en die oorsprong daarvan. Daar word ook gekyk na families deur die eeue, asook na moederskap. Die Godstaal wat die stiefma’s gebruik het, word ook ondersoek. Daar is ‘n interdissiplinêre ondersoek gedoen aan die hand van transversale rasionaliteit. Hierdie verhale wys onder andere op die druk wat op stiefma’s geplaas word deur die kerk en gemeenskap om onmiddelik in die rol van ‘n ma te funksioneer en die perfekte gesin te hê. Konflik in die nuwe gesin gee ook aanleiding tot skuldgevoelens by die stiefma. Met hierdie studie word daar gepoog dat daar beter begrip vir stiefma’s se unieke omstandighede en rolle sal wees. Dus ontstaan nuwe verhale, wat weer moontlikhede vir nuwe navorsing skep. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Practical Theology / Unrestricted

The postmodern context in which the church currently performs its duties, necessitates a reconsidering of its pastoral practice. This venture is undertaken by introducing the social constructionist paradigm as a thought form for therapeutic and pastoral approaches. The social constructionist perspective proposes a non-referential, non-descriptive and communicational view of language. Language does not mirror the world, but we create the world we know and inhabit through joint communicative action. This constructionist view of language has radical implications for the way we practice therapy and pastoral care. It invites a move away from expert knowledge, professional diagnosis, essentialist thinking and therapeutic master narratives. It encourages a not-knowing position, multiple descriptions of the reality experienced as the problem, a narrative understanding of identity and the development of local meaning in the therapeutic conversation. If the above mentioned implications of social constructionist thought for pastoral practice are taken seriously, the following question emerges: What is the role of the Bible in a pastoral approach which aligns itself with social constructionist commitments? Does this sacred text allow the pastor to hold a not-knowing position and the development of local meaning in conversation? The question is addressed by explicating the Protestant Orthodox view of Scripture as authorative, perspicuous, sufficient and dependable. This view of Scripture is critiqued by reviewing the complex and challenging developments in modern literary criticism, which give rise to generating alternative descriptions of the status and identity of the text we Christians call ‘The Bible’. These alternative descriptions result in a postfoundationalist view of the Bible. In conclusion a set of values for pastoral therapy, as informed by social constructionism, is formulated. A focus group joins the venture by reflecting on the values. The final chapter is a rumination on therapeutic narratives and context. / Thesis (DD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This study sets of by investigating postmodernism and social constructionism. Postmodernism as 21st century world view (paradigm) influences everything in our lives, including the perspective from which a study is conducted. An attempt is made to follow the development of modernism (and with it the so-called pre-modern) and postmodernism. This culminates in a summary of a postmodern perspective on reality and the practical consequences of postmodernism. Social constructionism emphasises the reality that discourses and even the self is socially constructed and therefore dependent on context, time and place. Social constructionism leads to questions about the normative role of the Bible in the study and a postmodern society. The metaphor "a circle of circles" and "a meeting" are employed to describe the application of God's Word in postmodern context. The constructing community determines the normative role of the Bible. Concepts such as the gift, God, and community are central concepts with regard to postmodernism and Christianity, and can therefore be useful during communication of the gospel to postmodern people. Narrative research in the field of Practical Theology assumes practical theological wisdom (knowledge) of people to be a legitimate and rich resource for knowledge and understanding of certain experience within a certain context. This study employs a Postfoundationalist Practical Theology as a framework for narrative research. The adaptation process of the Vermaak family as result of a migration from South Africa to New Zealand was researched. The first movement of the of the framework explores context. New Zealand/Aotearoa, Hawera (the town they settled in) and the family within their parish (Baptist Hawera) is described as the context. The researcher's own context is also taken in consideration as an attempt to establish subjective integrity. The second movement describes the experiences of the Vermaaks just before and approximately a year after their move to New Zealand. During the third movement the experiences are interpreted in collaboration with co-researchers. Traditions of interpretations (discourses) that influenced their process of adaptation is described in the fourth movement. The next step was an attempt to honestly structure the family's experience of God's presence during this significant event in their lives. Insight from interdisciplinary investigation, mainly into psychology, is used during the sixth movement to further enrich and thicken understanding of the process. Lastly a few insights were formulated that may be useful beyond the researcher and co-researchers. An awareness and knowledge of postmodernism and social constructionism (the current 21st century paradigms) facilitates interpretation and understanding of experiences. A thorough grasp of narrative concepts is helpful to the process of adaptation after an overseas move. An active Christian faith provides a stable identity which contributes to a meaningful and successful adaptation process. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

AFRIKAANS : Hierdie studie behels drie narratiewe wat gekonstrueer is uit onderhoude met boere wat die boerdery na 1994 verlaat het. Die fokus van die studie is om die private en openbare diskoerse wat ’n konteks skep vir boere om die boerdery te verlaat, te identifiseer. Daar is tans ’n eksodus van boere uit die landbou. Hierdie tendens skep ’n konteks vir destabilisasie van die platteland en beïnvloed al die betrokke rolspelers. Tog is min of geen navorsing in die sielkunde oor die belewenisse van hierdie groep mense onderneem nie. Die navorsing is uitgevoer vanuit ’n sosiale konstruksionistiese benadering wat binne die postmoderne diskoers geanker is. ’n Diskoersanalise is uitgevoer op die teks van drie navorsingsdeelnemers wat nog tot onlangs toe geboer het, maar intussen hul narratiewe moes rekonstrueer. Die unieke betekenis wat deur die navorsingsteks gekonstrueer word, is dat die verduidelikende lokus vir menslike gedrag vanaf die klassieke fokus op persoonlike belewenisse en verstandelike prosesse wat binne individue gesetel is, na ’n fokus op prosesse en strukture van menslike interaksie verskuif. Die navorsingsteks beskik dus oor die vermoë om ’n bewustheid by sielkundiges en verwante beroepe te konstrueer om vanuit ’n nuwe perspektief na die sielkundige diskoers te kyk. In hoofstuk een deel ek my eie boerderynarratief met die leser en stel die navorsingsvraag bekend. In hoofstuk twee word die konteks waarbinne boerdery in Suid-Afrika gesitueer is, aan die hand van ’n literatuurstudie uiteengesit. Dit word in hoofstuk drie opgevolg met ’n verduideliking van die paradigmatiese vertrekpunt, naamlik sosiale konstruksionisme. Diskoersanalise wat as ’n metode gebruik word om die teks te eksploreer word ook bespreek. Met hierdie agtergrond in gedagte word daar in hoofstuk vier oorgegaan na die fokus van die navorsing, naamlik die eksplorasie van teks. ’n Diskoersanalise is op die teks van drie navorsingsdeelnemers gedoen. Diskoerse wat in die proses geïdentifiseer is, sluit die volgende in: gesin-van-oorsprong-diskoers; beroepsdiskoers; politieke diskoers; misdaad-diskoers; ekonomiese diskoers; stoettelersdiskoers; middelman-diskoers; patriargale diskoers; ouderdomsdiskoers; beleggingsdiskoers; biomediese diskoers; opvoedingsdiskoers; die koöperasie as ’n instelling; sowel as diskoerse wat in die pers gevoer word. Hierdie diskoerse vorm saam die konteks waarbinne boere besluite oor hul toekoms neem. Die bevindings word nie as die waarheid hanteer nie, maar as die waarheid wat deur taal en magsverhoudings in stand gehou word. U word genooi om verder te lees en die sentrale posisie wat taal beklee in die skepping van die realiteit van die mens se bestaan, en in die konstruering van die navorsingsnarratief, vir uself te ontdek. ENGLISH : This study comprises three narratives that were constructed from interviews conducted with farmers who had given up farming after 1994. The focus of the study is to identify the private and public discourses that create a context for farmers to give up farming. Currently, an exodus of farmers is taking place from agriculture. This trend creates a context for the destabilisation of rural areas and affects all parties involved. However, in the field of psychology little research, if any, has been conducted into the experiences of this group of people. The research was conducted from a social constructionism approach anchored in the postmodern discourse. A discourse analysis was done of the text of three research participants who had been farming until recently, but who since had to reconstruct their narratives. The unique meaning constructed by the research text is that the explanatory locus of human behaviour has moved away from the classic focus on personal experiences and mental processes residing in individuals, to a focus on processes and structures of human interaction. The research text has the potential of constructing awareness among psychologists and related professions to view the psychological discourse from a new perspective. In chapter one I share my own farming narrative with the reader and introduce the research question. Chapter two comprises the context in which the farming industry is situated in South Africa based on a study of relevant literature. That is followed by an explanation of the paradigmatic point of departure known as social constructionism in chapter three. Discourse analysis is also discussed as a method used to explore the text. Bearing this in mind, chapter four moves on to the research focus, that is the exploration of text. A discourse analysis was done of the text of three research participants. Discourses identified in the process include the following: family-of-origin discourse; career discourse; political discourse; crime discourse; economic discourse; stud-farming discourse; middleman discourse; patriarchal discourse; age discourse; investment discourse; bio-medical discourse; educational discourse; the cooperative as an institution; as well as discourses conducted in the press. Together these discourses form the context within which farmers make decisions about their future. The findings are not dealt with as the truth, but as the truth maintained in language and relationships of power. You are invited to read on and to discover for yourself the central position which language holds in creating the reality of man’s existence and in constructing the research narrative. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

AFRIKAANS: In hierdie studie word daar na die narratiewe van Suid-Afrikaans gebore immigrante, wat hulself in Brisbane, Australië, gevestig het, geluister. Die plaaslike konteks word in die gereformeerde gemeente van Mansfield gevind en die ontwikkeling van diensbare leierskap word beskryf as deel van die kultuur van die gemeente wat fokus op die nood van immigrante. Die navorsing vind plaas vanuit ‘n epistemologie wat uit ‘n narratiewe benadering vloei. Die post-fundamentele teologiese posisionering inkorporeer die sosiale konstruksionisme, met die doel om ‘n dieper verstaan van die narratiewe navorsing te bewerkstellig. Die praxis word as die beginpunt van navorsing in hierdie post-fundamentele prakties-teologiese studie gesien. Die gevolg is dat eerstehandse kennis opgedoen en geïnterpreteer word deurdat die verhale van mede-navorsers aangehoor en beskryf word. Die plaaslike geloofsgemeenskap in Mansfield bied in-kontekstuele ervaringe wat deur die mede-navorsers vertel word en wat deur die tradisies van interpretasie beïnvloed word. Hierdie ervaringe word deur die aanstelling van respondente vanuit verskillende vakgebiede verder geïnterpreteer en betekenis word aan die verhale gegee in ‘n inter-dissiplinêre gesprek. Die inter-dissiplinêre gesprek word vanuit die teorie van transversale rasionaliteit gestimuleer en ‘n relevante literatuurstudie komplementeer die navorsingsproses en word in die studie geïntegreer. Aan die einde van die navorsingsproses word alternatiewe interpretasies en voorstelle gemaak wat dui op die konteks groter as net die plaaslike. Die navorsingsproses word dus ontwikkel vanuit ‘n post-fundamentele teologiese posionering met die doel om die narratiewe van immigrante aan die orde te stel. Hierdie narratiewe word geïnterpreteer en ‘n dieper verstaan word ontwikkel deurdat sekere diskoerse geïdentifiseer word deur ‘n proses van dekonstruksie. Kritiese vrae word gevra en die spesifieke temas vanuit die verhale word bespreek met die doel om die werklikheid van immigrasie te beskryf soos wat die mede-navorsers dit beleef. Die taalkwessie en hoe taal aangewend word om betekenis aan verhale te gee word bespreek. Die eie interpretasies van mede-navorsers word in opvolggesprekke getoets en die verhale word hierdeur toegelaat om te ontwikkel. Die geloofstaal en die taal van die twyfel van immigrante word aangehoor ten einde hulle belewenisse van die teenwoordigheid van God in hulle lewens tydens immigrasie te verstaan. Die ontwikkeling van Diensbare Leierskap word as ‘n natuurlike uitvloeisel van die immigrasieproses bespreek. Die immigrante beleef die diensbaarheid van die leiers in die gemeente van Mansfield positief. Hierdie studie vertel die verhale van immigrante wat deur die diensbaarheid van ander, self ook die kultuur van diensbaarheid aanneem en deelneem aan omgee-aksies om ander immigrante te bedien. Die literatuur oor diensbare leierskap wys self-leierskap, leierskap in spanverband, leierskapontwikkeling en strategiese leierskap uit as kritiese areas in die ontwikkeling van diensbare leierskap. Die gevolgtrekking op hierdie studie is dat diensbare leierskap as ‘n integrale deel van gelowige immigrasie verstaan word en dat dit intensioneel deel vorm van die leierskapkultuur in ‘n immigrant-vriendelike gemeente. Die voorstel wat hieruit voortvloei is dat verskillende gemeentes en kerkverbande kan baat by die aanwending van diensbare leierskap binne die konteks van immigrasie. ENGLISH: In this study narratives of immigration are listened to and described from the local context of the Christian Reformed Church, Mansfield in Brisbane, Australia. The development of servant leadership is described as part of the culture of the congregation. The congregation focuses on the needs of immigrants as an immigrant-friendly church. The research approach in this study flows from an epistemology based on a narrative theory. The post foundational approach incorporates social constructionism as part of the process in exploring a deeper meaning of the stories told by immigrants. Within this framework of post foundational practical theology, the praxis is the starting point of research. This consists of local knowledge, described and interpreted by the co-researchers and informed by traditions of interpretation. The experiences of co-researchers are interpreted on a second level with the appointment of four interdisciplinary respondents. The respondents take part in an interdisciplinary conversation and they each contribute from their field of experience. This is done by using transversal rationality and the in-context experiences are thickened through interdisciplinary investigation. Furthermore, a study of relevant literature is introduced and added to the conversation. At the end of the research process some suggestions and alternative interpretations that point beyond the local context, are made. The research process is therefore developed from a post foundational theological positioning with the aim of describing immigration narratives and interpreting these narratives in order to facilitate a deeper knowledge and insight into the immigration process. Different discourses will be explored by asking critical questions and using a process of deconstruction. The in-context experiences of co-researchers are the primary narrative and their interpretations of experiences will be studied. The language of co-researchers and how they use language will be discussed. Their own interpretations will be used as discussion points in follow up conversations and their narratives will therefore be allowed into a process of growth. Their language, pointing to their experience of the presence of God as well as their language of doubt in the process of immigration will be listened to. Servant leadership will be discussed as an integral part of immigration for believers. The stories of the co-researchers reveal servant leadership in many different forms as part of the culture of the congregation in Mansfield. The narratives show the co-researchers becoming part of the ministry of servant leaders in the congregation. Co-researchers experience the influence of the servant leadership of others in their lives and tell stories of how their needs as immigrants are met by the servant leaders in the congregation. The literature on servant leadership points to self leadership, team leadership, leadership development and strategic leadership as relevant themes to be explored. The conclusion of this study shows servant leadership as an integral part of immigration and that an intentional focus on a culture of servanthood will benefit an immigration friendly congregation. The proposal following from this study is to engage other congregations and churches in a conversation on the effect of servant leadership within the context of immigration. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The research endeavoured to voice the told and untold stories of adolescents living with HIV undergoing continual disease management at the Kalafong Hospital Paediatric HIV Clinic. Through the telling of their stories the adolescents had the opportunity to make sense of their illness experiences. Some of the participating adolescents had limited opportunities to discuss their experiences with friends or family members. The research was completed within the qualitative social constructionist narrative approach. Six adolescents from the clinic participated voluntarily in the research. The participants attended the clinic regularly for disease management and were on ART. The study explored the experiences of the adolescents by means of two semi-structured individual interviews. Expressive art in the form of drawings and poetry were used to aid storytelling. Through collaborative exploration of the adolescents‟ stories, it became possible to co-construct the meanings that they attached to their experiences of HIV, which informs their identity. The interview transcripts were analysed, re-storied, and placed within a narrative framework of understanding, based on the three-dimensional space approach by Clandinin and Connelly (2000). The framework of understanding aided the researcher to look at the different contexts, identities, and social significant aspects found in the adolescents‟ stories. Multiple identities were constructed in their stories such as patient, scholar, friend, family, and athlete identities. These were constructed based on their experiences in the family and cultural, school and social, and medical contexts. The adolescents attributed different meanings to their stories of living with HIV such as that of normality, sameness, realism, and difference. The unique and similar aspects that were found in the adolescents‟ stories were identified and discussed with reference to various concepts such as disclosure, adherence, and ART. It was found that status disclosure was done by staff at the clinic and it occurred during young adolescence. All the adolescents, except one who was not aware of her status, showed insight into the chronic nature of their disease. Five adolescents‟ statuses have not been disclosed to anyone outside the families. In only one instance, the family was not aware of his status. Most adolescents assumed primary responsibility for ART. They expressed conflicting ideas about the role of ART. Some adolescents had to cope with side effects, the possibility of accidental status disclosure and non-adherence, and fears of rejection. The research, employing a narrative approach, endeavours to contribute to create a holistic understanding of HIV/AIDS in the context of health care. Lack of communication and impersonal staff interactions with patients were identified as barriers to disease management. The research recommends that the clinic should provide ongoing support to the adolescents with regards to disclosure of their status to friends, family, and partners, and adherence to medication. The social significant aspects found in the adolescents‟ stories will be disseminated to the staff at the clinic. This will assist the multi-disciplinary team to gain a better understanding of the reality of the adolescent and how these experiences inform their identity. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Psychology / unrestricted