Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Picturesque Cape Town is the epitome of an urban/nature interface but one within which chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) face slander for transgressing both the socially constructed human/animal and nature/culture divide, and/or the actual, physical borderlines associated with these divides. The difficulties associated with retaining baboons in nature, because of their ability to traverse physical boundaries, have led to human–baboon conflict. Even though research focusing on baboon biology on the Cape Peninsula is abundant, comparatively little attention has been paid to the human aspects of the conflict. By making use of a social constructionist theoretical framework, I wished to establish what attitudes and values play a defining role in different social constructions of chacma baboons, specifically those who often cross the urban/nature divide; what these different social constructions are; whether they differ among the various stakeholders that were included in this research; and whether there is a willingness amongst stakeholders to adjust to, accommodate, or at least understand “other” social constructions. The research is strongly motivated by a suggestion in the literature that human–human conflict underpins human–wildlife conflict. The main data collection method used in this research project was personal, semi-structured interviews with members of various stakeholder groups that are involved in the Cape Peninsula’s “baboon debate”, i.e. governmental institutions, nongovernmental organisations, researchers, representatives of residential associations, local residents and journalists. In order to increase the trustworthiness of my data and to gain an enhanced understanding of the complex social interactions, practices and belief systems which are embedded within human–baboon conflicts, I also analysed the discourse embedded in numerous forms of documentation that refer to the Cape Peninsula’s baboons. The findings from this research provide evidence that conflicts over beliefs and values, conflicts of interest, and conflicts over process are the prominent underlying causes of human– human conflict regarding baboons and baboon management on the Cape Peninsula. Conflicts over beliefs and values seem to underpin all types of human–human conflict regarding baboons on the Cape Peninsula, as human–baboon conflict is riddled with the Cartesian dualisms of urban (or culture) versus nature; human versus animal; biocentrism versus anthropocentrism; and rationalism versus affective social action. The opposition between the two ontologies of rationalism and affective social action, which reflect divergent ways of thinking about baboons and are central to individual’s support of certain baboon-management techniques, is especially pronounced. Moreover, the ability of the Cape Peninsula’s baboons to transgress the nature/culture, and even the human/animal, borderline not only leads to conflict between humans and baboons, but also among humans. This thesis recommends that, in order to effectively address human–human conflict over beliefs and values, as well as human–baboon conflict, the numerous stakeholders on the Cape Peninsula should identify a common significance of baboons. While I would refrain from declaring that human–human conflict is the actual source of human–baboon conflict, addressing the human dimensions of human–wildlife conflict remains an important though neglected issue. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Skilderagtige Kaapstad is die toonbeeld van ’n stedelike/natuur skeidingsvlak, maar een waarbinne die Kaapse bobbejane (Papio ursinus) beswadder word, omdat hulle die sosiaalgekonstrueerde mens/dier en natuur/kultuur skeidslyn en/of die werklike, fisiese grens wat met hierdie skeidslyn geassosieer is, skend. As gevolg van hul vermoë om fisiese grense te oorkruis, het die probleme met die inperking van bobbejane in die natuur tot mens–bobbejaan konflik gelei. Ondanks die feit dat navorsing met die fokus op bobbejaan-biologie op die Kaapse Skiereiland volop is, is relatief min aandag geskenk aan die menslike aspekte van die konflik. Deur gebruik te maak van ’n sosiaal-konstruksionistiese teoretiese raamwerk, wou ek vasstel watter ingesteldhede en waardes ’n bepalende rol speel in verskillende sosiale konstruksies van Kaapse bobbejane, veral diegene wat dikwels die stedelike/natuur skeidingsvlak oorkruis; wat hierdie verskillende sosiale konstruksies is; of hulle verskil tussen die verskeie rolspelers wat ingesluit is in hierdie navorsingsprojek; en of daar ’n bereidwilligheid is onder belanghebbendes om aan te pas by “ander” sosiale konstruksies, dit tegemoet te kom, of ten minste te verstaan. Die navorsing is sterk gemotiveer deur ’n voorstel in die literatuur dat mens–mens konflik mens–wildlewe konflik onderskraag. Die hoof data-insamelingsmetode wat in hierdie navorsingsprojek gebruik is, was persoonlike, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met lede van verskillende belanghebbende groepe wat betrokke is in die Kaapse Skiereiland se “bobbejaandebat”, d.w.s regeringsinstellings, nieregeringsorganisasies, navorsers, verteenwoordigers van residensiële verenigings, plaaslike inwoners en joernaliste. Ten einde die betroubaarheid van my data te versterk en om ’n beter begrip te ontwikkel van die ingewikkelde sosiale interaksies, praktyke en oortuigings wat ingebed is in mens–bobbejaan konflikte, het ek ook die diskoers ontleed wat ingebed is in talle vorme van dokumentasie wat verwys na die Kaapse Skiereiland se bobbejane. Die bevindinge van hierdie navorsing verskaf bewyse dat konflikte oor oortuigings en waardes, konflikte van belang, en konflikte oor prosesse die prominente onderliggende oorsake van mens–mens konflik rakende bobbejane en bobbejaanbestuur op die Kaapse Skiereiland is. Konflikte oor oortuigings en waardes blyk onderliggend te wees aan alle vorme van mens–mens konflik ten opsigte van bobbejane in die Kaapse Skiereiland, aangesien mens–bobbejaan konflik deurtrek is met die Cartesiese dualismes van stedelike (of kultuur) teenoor die natuur; mens teenoor dier; biosentrisme teenoor antroposentrisme; en rasionalisme teenoor affektiewe sosiale aksie. Die teenoorgesteldheid tussen die twee ontologieë van rasionalisme en affektiewe sosiale aksie, wat uiteenlopende maniere van dink oor bobbejane weerspieël en sentraal is tot individue se ondersteuning van sekere bobbejaanbestuurtegnieke, is veral ooglopend. Verder lei die vermoë van die Kaapse Skiereiland se bobbejane om die natuur/kultuur en selfs die mens/dier grenslyn te oorkruis, nie slegs tot konflik tussen mense en bobbejane nie, maar ook tussen mense. Hierdie tesis beveel aan dat, ten einde mens–mens konflik rakende oortuigings en waardes, asook mens–bobbejaan konflik, aan te spreek, moet die talle belanghebbendes in die Kaapse Skiereiland ’n gemeenskaplike betekenis van bobbejane identifiseer. Terwyl ek myself sou weerhou om te verklaar dat mens–mens konflik die wesenlike bron van mens–bobbejaan konflik is, bly die menslike dimensies van mens–wildlewe konflik ’n belangrike, dog verwaarloosde kwessie

Thesis (MSc) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The fires, which occurred during January 2000 on the Southern Cape Peninsula, Cape Province, South Africa, focused attention on the importance of sound, informed management of exotic plant invaders in fynbos, especially at the urban interface. The fires also highlighted the relative lack of knowledge about the combined impacts of fire, exotic plants and the exotic-clearing programme on soil seed banks and regeneration. This study examines soil borne seed banks, regeneration, soil chemistry and micro biota in different postfire environments, focusing on three components of exotic plant management: The post-fire effects of standing invasive exotic plants; stacks of slashed exotic plant material which were deliberately burnt and stacks reduced to heat scars by a wildfire. The primary hypothesis addressed is that post-fire vegetation regeneration patterns, seed bank diversity and seed bank abundance are linked to pre-fire vegetation characteristics and, in particular, to the treatment of exotic plant species. It is also hypothesised that soil microbe population sizes are linked to pre-fire vegetation and soil chemical composition. Differences in soil seed banks, soil micro biota and vegetation regeneration patterns occur in different post-fire environments. High volumes of (live or dead) woody exotic biomass negatively impact upon postfire indigenous species diversity and abundance, both above and below-ground. Soil seed banks and above-ground regeneration decline with increasing fire intensity, wildfire burnt stack treatments showing the largest declines followed by wildfire burnt standing exotics, control burnt stacks, wildfire burnt cleared areas and wildfire burnt Mountain Fynbos treatments. Persistent indigenous seed banks are found under some exotic dominated stands. Heat damage, associated with high woody exotic biomass, affects seeds of all species into deep soil layers. Depth of burial is a more important determinant of seed survival during fires than seed size. Soil microbial populations are variably affected by exotic plants, their management and increases in fire intensity. The most drastic microbial population changes are in post-fire treatments of high exotic plant biomass. Soil chemistry affects microbial population sizes as does seasonal climatic changes. In this thesis vegetation, seed bank and microbial responses to various exotic plant management practices are shown and management recommendations are made. Keywords: exotic plants, fire, Fynbos Siome, microbes, post-fire succession, soil seed banks. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Januarie 2000 vure op die Suid Kaapse Skiereiland het fokus gerig op die belangrikheid van goeie, ingeligte bestuur van uitheemse indringerplante in fynbos, veral naby stedelike gebiede. Die vure het ook 'n relatiewe .gebrek aan kennis aangaande die gekombineerde impakte van vuur, uitheemse plantegroei en indringer plant beheer programme op grond saadbanke en die hergroei van plante na 'n vuur aan die lig gebring. Hierdie projek bestudeer die invloed van vuur op grond saadbanke, hergroei van plante, grond chemie en mikro-organismes. Die klem lê op drie komponente van uitheemse plant bestuur: waar staande uitheemse plante voorkom; waar skoongekapte uitheemse plante in hope gestapel is en gekontraleerd gebrand is en waar soortgelyke hope in 'n onbeplande weghol vuur gebrand is. Die primêre hipotese is dat plant herstelpatrone, saadbank diversiteit en grootte gekoppel is aan veldtoestande voordat daar gebrand is, en veral aan die bestuur van uitheemse plantspesies. Nog 'n sentrale hipotese is dat die grootte van grond mikrobiale populasies gekoppel is aan veld toestande voor die brand en aan grond chemiese samestelling. Hierdie studie dui verskille aan in grond saadbanke, mikro-organismes en plant hergroeipatrone onder verskeie toestande na vuur. Die brand van hoë volumes (lewende of dooie) houtagtige uitheemse plant biomassa benadeel inheemse plant spesie diversiteit en getalle (bo en onder die grond oppervlak). Grond saadbanke neem af met vehogings in vuur intensiteit. Die grootste afnames is in wegholvuur gebrande gestapelde uitheemse plantmateriaal gevolg deur wegholvuur gebrande staande uitheemse plante, opsetlik gebrande hope uitheemse plante, gebrande skoongekapte areas en wegholvuur gebrande Berg Fynbos. Ou inheemse saadbanke is gevind onder sommige areas wat voor die vuur oorheers was deur uitheemse plantegroei. Hitteskade, geassosieer met hoë volumes houtagtige uitheemse biomassa, affekteer sade van alle spesies tot diep in die grond. Saad oorlewing tydens brande is meer geaffekteer deur diepte van begrawing in die grond as deur saad grootte. Grond mikro-organisme populasies is geaffekteer deur uitheemse indringer plante, die bestuur van uitheemse plante en vuur intensiteit. Die grootste veranderinge is waar die biomassa van uitheemse plantegroei baie hoog is. Grond chemiese samestelling en seisoenale veranderinge in weerspatrone affekteer die grootte van mikrobiale bevolkings. In hierdie tesis word verskille in plantegroei, saad store en grond mikrobes, soos geaffekteer deur uitheemse plant beheer programme uitgewys en voorstelle vir toekomstige bestuur gemaak. Sleutelwoorde: Fynbos Bioom, grond saad stoor, mikrobes, plant hergroei, uitheemse plante, vuur.

Thesis (MA) -- Stellenbosch University, 1966. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: no abstract available / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: geen opsomming

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to determine whether residential electricity consumers within the Cape Peninsula would be willing to voluntarily purchase green electricity if it is sold at a premium price. International experience in the field of green marketing shows that while niche markets for green electricity clearly existed, few programmes however exceeded a 5% penetration in the residential market. This study therefore methodologically drew on recent development in the literature of norm-motivated behaviour to identify testable factors that could influence residential consumers’ willingness to purchase premium-priced green electricity. After identifying these core testable factors, they were used to test various hypotheses. This was done through the testing of primary data that was collected through a telephone market survey of 405 respondents within the Cape Peninsula. These respondents were all identified as financial decision makers within their electricity consuming households. This study subsequently found that residential electricity consumers in the Cape Peninsula are very concerned about the future of the environment and that a large percentage of them (more than 40%) from almost all income levels might voluntary buy premium-priced green electricity. However, as it did identify that consumers must truly be convinced of the positive effects that green electricity would have on the environment before voluntarily supporting such a campaign, it found that consumers might not be well enough informed on environmental and climate change issues to ensure their actual support. To be at all successful, such a green electricity marketing campaign should be very informative and specifically focused on the positive effects that such a purchase would have on the environment. This study also found that supportive residential consumers would on average be willing to pay a maximum premium of 26% or approximately 15c/kWh. The combined maximum potential value of these premiums amount to R39 million per month. This serves as indication that there is much room for future development of the green electricity market. This study also identified that the majority of residential consumers believe that excessive users of electricity should be forced to make a larger financial contribution towards the generation of green electricity than low usage consumers. Based on its findings, the study closes with recommendations to role players in the green electricity market, i.e. the City of Cape Town Municipality, Darling Wind Farm and Eskom. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om te bepaal of residensiële elektrisiteitsverbruikers in die Kaapse Skiereiland gewillig sou wees om vrywilliglik groen elektrisiteit teen ’n premie aan te koop. Internasionale ervaring op die gebied van groen elektrisiteit het getoon dat, alhoewel daar verseker nismarkte vir groen elektrisiteit bestaan, baie min programme meer as 5% van die residensiële mark kon wen. Hierdie studie steun dus metodologies op onlangse verwikkelinge in die literatuur rakende normgemotiveerde gedrag om sodoende toetsbare faktore te identifiseer wat moontlik verbruikers se bereidwilligheid om groen elektrisiteit teen ’n premie te koop, kan verbeter. Na die identifisering van hierdie toetsbare faktore is hulle gebruik om verskeie hipoteses te toets. Dit is gedoen deur die toets van primêre data wat deur middel van telefoon-marknavorsing by 405 respondente binne die Kaapse Skiereiland ingesamel is. Hierdie respondente was almal geïdentifiseer as finansiële besluitnemers van huishoudings wat elektrisiteit gebruik. Hierdie studie het bevind dat residensiële elektrisiteitsverbruikers in die Kaapse Skiereiland baie besorg is oor die toekoms van die omgewing en dat ’n groot hoeveelheid van hierdie huishoudings (meer as 40%) van amper alle inkomstegroepe moontlik gewillig sou wees om groen elektrisiteit teen ’n premie aan te koop. Die studie het ook bevind dat omdat hierdie bereidwilligheid van die residensiële verbruikers onderhewig is aan hul oortuiging dat groen elektrisiteit ’n werklike positiewe effek op die omgewing uitoefen, residensiële verbruikers dalk huidiglik nie werklik goed genoeg ingelig is rakende omgewingsbewaring- en klimaatsveranderingskwessies nie. Hierdie gebrek aan kennis kan dus moontlik hul bereidwilligheid om groen elektrisiteit teen ’n premie aan te koop, negatief beïnvloed. Om suksesvol te wees sal groen elektrisiteit-bemarkingsveldtogte baie volledige inligting moet verskaf en sterk gefokus moet wees op die omgewingsvoordele wat die aankoop van groen elektrisiteit inhou. Die studie het ook bevind dat residensiële ondersteuners bereid sou wees om gemiddeld ’n maksimum premie van 26% of 15c/kWh te betaal. Die gesamentlike maksimum potensiële waarde van hierdie premies is R39 miljoen per maand wat daarop dui dat daar heelwat ruimte mag wees vir toekomstige uitbreiding van die mark vir groen elektrisiteit. Hierdie studie het ook geïdentifiseer dat die meerderheid residensiële elektrisiteitsverbruikers glo dat oormatige elektrisiteitsverbruikers gedwing moet word om ‘n groter finansiële bydrae tot die opwekking van groen elektrisiteit te maak as lae elektrisiteitsverbruikers. Gebaseer op die bevindinge van hierdie studie, sluit dit af met aanbevelings tot verskeie rolspelers in die mark vir groen elektrisiteit, soos die Kaapstadse Munisipaliteit, Darling Windplaas en Eskom.

Thesis (MScConsEcol(Conservation Ecology and Entomology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The official custodian of the Cape Peninsula mountain chain, located at the centre of Cape Town, is the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). This park is South Africa’s only urban open-access park and has been declared a World Heritage Site. This thesis is an anthropological and historical examination of the past and present conservation of the Cape Peninsula . I provide an overview of the relationship between the urban environment and the Cape Peninsula aiming to illustrate the produced character of the mountains and its mediation in power relations. This study of custodianship reveals that protecting and conserving the Cape Peninsula is shaped by the politics of the urban and natural environment as well as by the experience of living in the city. As such, official and unofficial custodianship is informed by class and race differentiations, embedded in the politics of identity, responsive to the local and national political transformations in governance and connected to the urban struggles of the marginalised Capetonians. Furthermore, inherent in the notion of custodianship is the social appropriation of the Cape Peninsula which was shown to produce specific ideological representations of nature. The thesis presents an ethnographic study of Hangberg, a poor neighbourhood situated at the border of the TMNP. There, the encroachments and poaching within the park boundaries is addressed by focussing on the competing discourses between biodiversity, entitlement and heritage. The engagements between the TMNP, the state and Hangberg on the issues of conservation reveal the distinct complexities of running a national park in a city beset with inequalities. My focus on these engagements also illustrates that the manifestation of ‘community’ is a construction contingent upon circumstances which reflect a meaningful and political relationship between identity, citizenship and place, rather than a homogeneous group of people. I conclude with the idea that in attempting to make the park socially and racially equitable, urban conservation ought to begin to recognise its distinct urban character in the larger socio-environmental framework of the city. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die offisiële beskermheer van die Kaapse Skiereiland Bergreeks, geleë in die sentrum van Kaapstad, is die Tafelberg Nasionale Park (TNP). Die park is Suid-Afrika se enigste stedelike en oop-toegangspark en is verklaar as ’n Wêreld Erfenis Gebied. Hierdie tesis is ’n antropologiese en historiese studie van die huidige en geskiedkundige beskerming van die Kaapse Skiereiland. ’n Oorsig van die verhouding tussen die stedelike omgewing en die Kaapse Skiereiland ontbloot die geproduseerde karakter van die bergreeks en die bemiddeling daarvan in magsverhoudinge. ’n Studie van die beskermheerders van die Kaapse Skiereiland toon aan dat die beskerming en bewaring van die bergreeks (of dele daarvan) afhanklik is van die stedelike en nasionale politieke klimaat en die ervaring van ’n stedelike lewe. Sodoende word offisiële en nie-offisiële kuratorskap as klas- en ras-onderskeibaar, ingebed in identiteitspolitiek, verwant aan die plaaslike en nasionale politieke transformasies in die regering, en verbonde aan die stryd van armes in Kaapstad gedefinieer. Verder, inherent aan kuratorskap is die sosiale toe-eiening van die Kaapse Skiereiland wat spesifieke ideologiese voorstellings van die natuur in die stad produseer. Die tesis bied’n etnografiese studie van Hangberg aan, ’n arm woonbuurt geleë op die grens van die TNP. Ek bespreek die onwettige behuising en stropery binne die park se grense deur te fokus op die kompeterende diskoerse tussen biodiversiteit, regte en erfenis. Die onderhandelinge tussen die TNP, die staat, en Hangberg in verband met die kwessies rondom bewaring ontbloot die spesifieke kompleksiteit daarvan om ’n nasionale park in ’n stad geteister deur ongelykhede te bestuur. Hierdie fokus illustreer dat ‘gemeenskap’ manifesteer as ’n konstruksie wat afhanklik is van omstandighede en dui op ’n betekenisvolle en politieke verhouding tussen identiteit, burgerskap en plek, eerder as ’n homogene groep. Ek sluit af met die idee dat in ’n poging om die TNP meer sosiaal- en ras-inklusief te maak, behoort stedelike bewaring die spesifieke stedelike karakter daarvan te erken in die groter sosialeomgewingsraamwerk van die stad.

<p>In South Africa, poverty engendered by the apartheid regime has long been part of the fabric of the economy. Against this background of social marginalisation, material deprivation and individual vulnerability, tourism has over the years increasingly been mooted as a strategically important and lucrative sector that, if fully explored and exploited, would lead to sustained poverty alleviation in the Republic of South Africa. The central aim of this study was to establish whether tourism as evident in the Spier Tourism model is a sustainable poverty-reduction strategy. The specific objectives of this study were to examine the socio-economic impact of Spier tourism initiatives on its workers (previously disadvantaged individuals) and the local population, to assess the pro-poor tourism practices as implemented by Spier in relation to Rogerson&rsquo / s pro-poor approach, to identify the challenges that Spier is facing in its pro-poor tourism approach with respect to poverty reduction goals, to provide recommendations on how the challenges can be met most effectively and to examine how pro-poor tourism can be promoted and enhanced in South Africa. The study employed both the qualitative and quantitative research designs. Data were collected through different qualitative and quantitative techniques (in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaire). Summary findings indicate that Spier has positively contributed to the socio-economic improvement in the living standards (contribution to livelihood &ndash / increased income, enhanced health and food status), through job creation, improved education/healthcare, empowerment through training and skill development, investment in the corporate social responsibility. However, Spier is still grappling with challenges such as racial disputes, insufficient income of employees and unqualified staff to mention a few. This study makes several recommendations which are based on the findings.</p>

<p>In South Africa, poverty engendered by the apartheid regime has long been part of the fabric of the economy. Against this background of social marginalisation, material deprivation and individual vulnerability, tourism has over the years increasingly been mooted as a strategically important and lucrative sector that, if fully explored and exploited, would lead to sustained poverty alleviation in the Republic of South Africa. The central aim of this study was to establish whether tourism as evident in the Spier Tourism model is a sustainable poverty-reduction strategy. The specific objectives of this study were to examine the socio-economic impact of Spier tourism initiatives on its workers (previously disadvantaged individuals) and the local population, to assess the pro-poor tourism practices as implemented by Spier in relation to Rogerson&rsquo / s pro-poor approach, to identify the challenges that Spier is facing in its pro-poor tourism approach with respect to poverty reduction goals, to provide recommendations on how the challenges can be met most effectively and to examine how pro-poor tourism can be promoted and enhanced in South Africa. The study employed both the qualitative and quantitative research designs. Data were collected through different qualitative and quantitative techniques (in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaire). Summary findings indicate that Spier has positively contributed to the socio-economic improvement in the living standards (contribution to livelihood &ndash / increased income, enhanced health and food status), through job creation, improved education/healthcare, empowerment through training and skill development, investment in the corporate social responsibility. However, Spier is still grappling with challenges such as racial disputes, insufficient income of employees and unqualified staff to mention a few. This study makes several recommendations which are based on the findings.</p>

Magister Artium - MA / In South Africa, poverty engendered by the apartheid regime has long been part of the fabric of the economy. Against this background of social marginalisation, material deprivation and individual vulnerability, tourism has over the years increasingly been mooted as a strategically important and lucrative sector that, if fully explored and exploited, would lead to sustained poverty alleviation in the Republic of South Africa. The central aim of this study was to establish whether tourism as evident in the Spier Tourism model is a sustainable poverty-reduction strategy. The specific objectives of this study were to examine the socio-economic impact of Spier tourism initiatives on its workers (previously disadvantaged individuals) and the local population, to assess the pro-poor tourism practices as implemented by Spier in relation to Rogerson's pro-poor approach, to identify the challenges that Spier is facing in its pro-poor tourism approach with respect to poverty reduction goals, to provide recommendations on how the challenges can be met most effectively and to examine how pro-poor tourism can be promoted and enhanced in South Africa. The study employed both the qualitative and quantitative research designs. Data were collected through different qualitative and quantitative techniques (in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaire). Summary findings indicate that Spier has positively contributed to the socio-economic improvement in the living standards (contribution to livelihood - increased income, enhanced health and food status), through job creation, improved education/healthcare, empowerment through training and skill development, investment in the corporate social responsibility. However, Spier is still grappling with challenges such as racial disputes, insufficient income of employees and unqualified staff to mention a few. This study makes several recommendations which are based on the findings. / South Africa

The aim of this study was to explore and describe the psychosocial problems perceived (their phenomenological field) by children in middle childhood, living in shelters in the Cape Metropolitan Area. The psychosocial problems included poor self regulation as a result of disturbances in the contact cycle, restrictions in shelters negatively impacting the holistic sense of self, barriers hindering relationships with significant others and the continuation of violence into the participants‟ broader field. The experience of multiple losses and persistence of violent behavior within and without the shelter context was a thread that ran through this study. Current literature provided an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of this study which included the key tenets of Gestalt therapy theory, core Gestalt principles, the child living in a shelter and development in middle childhood. A qualitative research approach with a case study of ten children from three shelters was implemented. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)