Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in (Community Psychology) in the Department of Psychology, University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The aim of this study was to evaluate a group clay therapy programme that was conducted among teenage girls who have suffered sexual abuse in the rural district of the Free State Province in South Africa. The strength of this programme lies in the fact that it is a group therapy programme, therefore is able to reach a number of subjects at the same time, as opposed to individual consultation, which is a common approach in psychological interventions. Literature shows that the incidence of sexual abuse among young girls is alarmingly high (National Department of Social Welfare, 2004; Bolen, 2001; Conradie & Tanfa, 2005). While government and non-profit organizations try their best to fight this crime, health care delivery is lagging behind. Pillay and Lockhart (1997), identified the shortage of psychologists as one of the reasons for poor delivery of mental health care services to children. Bolen (2001), states that child sexual abuse invades the inner being of a child, and may result in psychopathology, if not treated early. This is of concern to everybody including the government hence a solution is sought in many different forms. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design. A sample of forty (40) adolescent girls who are survivors of sexual abuse was selected. They were divided into two groups; twenty (20) formed the experimental group, and the other twenty (20) the control group. The experimental group received clay therapy whilst the control group underwent a routine intervention programme that is offered by the health clinic for survivors of sexual abuse. At the end, both groups were evaluated in order to check the difference with regard to their response to these treatments. A higher positive response was observed in the experimental group. This was an indication of the effectiveness of clay therapy. Clay therapy was given for eight sessions. This is taken as brief therapeutic intervention. It therefore minimises time spent in health care facilities. Brief therapies are more effective and helpful with clients of low socio-economic status, simply because some of them lack funds for daily trips to see the therapists, who are usually located in urban areas. The subjects for this research were all from a rural area. Individuals who have suffered traumatic experiences such as sexual abuse, usually find it difficult to express themselves in words because they usually get overwhelmed with emotions. Children also lack vocabulary to express their innermost feelings. Body-based therapies such as clay therapy, are usually successful in accessing thoughts, feelings, and bodily experiences which are all intimately related. Clay therapy is therefore recommended as a therapeutic modality of choice when working with traumatised individuals.A South Africa is made up of nine provinces and the provinces are further divided into districts. v Through poverty, politics, e.g. forced removals, faction fights, etc., and societal factors such as the migrant labour system, marriages and others, people have migrated from their places of origin, so that one finds mixed cultural groups all over the country. A therapeutic modality that reaches a number of clients of different backgrounds at the same time is more relevant. The clay therapy modality reflected no language barriers; all the girls grasped the activities well, even though they were from different cultural groups. Playing with clay is culture friendly, because no level of education is needed to master the art of playing. This makes clay therapy much easier to integrate into child therapies. Confidentiality is also maintained in such therapy because the subjects do not have to talk about their feelings in the group if they do not want to, but they get a chance to interact with people who are of the same age, who have experienced the same trauma as theirs.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Arguing from a social constructionist perspective and using a qualitative methodology the aim of the present study was to explore different dimensions of gender amongst a group of adolescent girls between the ages of 14 and 18 years living in Rustenburg, South Africa. More specifically it explores and describes the following aspects of gender amongst these girls: (a) how young adolescent girls living in Rustenburg perceive gender roles in general and how they perceive their own roles in particular (b) their gender relations with other adolescents and (c) their views on and expectations of the future as women. The rationale for selecting Rustenburg as the geographical area of research is due to its semi-rural location. While rural communities are generally perceived to be more conservative than urban areas they do not escape modernizing influences such as the mass media. An underlying theme of the present study is thus to ascertain whether or not the girls in Rustenburg still have relatively conservative perceptions regarding gender. The fmdings of the present study reveal that the participants have broken away from conforming to traditional roles assigned to women and would like to combine new modem roles with existing traditional roles. It is also clear that the mass media has a considerable influence in this regard. According to the respondents society values .a woman that can succeed in being a good mother, wife and home-keeper as well as being a career woman. Most of the participants want to fulfil these multiple roles. The advantages of being career women, according to these participants, are that such women are independent and fmancially self-reliant. Regarding gender relations, friendships with girls and boys are of equal importance to the respondents. On the one hand sufficient common ground exists to interact comfortably with boys, while on the other hand interacting with boys is seen as useful in obtaining insight into the life world of boys. However, a general opinion held by the girls is that they feel more comfortable to discuss more personal and intimate topics with their girl friends. Relationships with younger girls and factors influencing popularity among girls were also explored as themes. Future expectations that are shared by participants are that they would like to complete their school education and attend a technikon or university to further their education. Their future career expectations cover a wide range of occupational choices. Most of the participants want to get married in future - the ages varying between 25 and 30. They would also like to have children but only once they have established a good career. Their main concerns for the future are whether or not there will be job opportunities for them in the careers that they want to pursue. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die volgende aspekte van 'n veelrassige groep adolessente meisies in Rustenburg se opvattings m.b.t. gender: (a) hul opvattings oor genderrolle in die algemeen en hul eie rolle in besonder; (b) hul genderverhoudings met ander adolessente; en (c) hul sienings oor en verwagtings van die toekoms. Die studie is gegrond in 'n sosiaal-konstruksionistiese perspektief en het gebruik gemaak van 'n kwalitatiewe metodologie. Indiwiduele onderhoude sowel as fokusgroepsessies is onderneem met 10 meisies tussen die ouderdomme van 14 en 18 jaar. Rustenburg is as geografiese area gekies weens die semi-landelike aard van die gemeenskap. Alhoewel landelike gemeenskappe dikwels as meer konservatief beskou word as stedelike areas spring hul nie moderniserende invloede soos die massamedia vry nie. 'n Onderliggende tema van die studie was dus on te bepaal of die meisies in Rustenburg not steeds relatief konserwatiewe genderopvattings het. Die studie het bevind dat respondente nie meer volledig konformeeraan tradisionele rolle wat aan vroue toegeskryf word nie en graag nuwe moderne rolle wil kombineer met bestaande tradisionele rolle. Dit is ook duidelik dat die massamedia 'n groot invloed het in hierdie verband. Volgens die respondente word 'n vrou wat suksesvol is as goeie moeder, eggenoot en tuisteskepper sowel in 'n loopbaan hoog gewaardeer. Die meerderheid van die respondente wil hierdie meervoudige rolle vervul. Volgens die respondente is die voordeel van 'n loopbaan vir vroue daarin geleë dat hulle onafhanklik en fmansieël selfonderhoudend kan wees. Met betrekking tot genderverhoudings is bevind dat vriendskappe met meisies en seuns ewe belangrik is vir die respondent. Aan die een kant bestaan daar voldoende gemeenskaplike belangstellings om gemaklik met seuns te kommunikeer, terwyl interaksie met seuns aan die ander kant ook nuttige insigte bide in die leefwêreld van seuns. Die algemene mening van die meisies is egter dat hul meer op hul gemak voel om persoonlike en intieme sake met hul meisievriende te bespreek. Daar is ook ondersoek ingestel na die verhoudings met jonger meisises sowel as faktore wat die gewildheid van meisies bepaal. 'n Gemeenskaplike toekomsverwagting van die respondente is dat hulle hul skoolopleiding wil voltooi en daarna tersiêre opleiding aan 'n universiteit of technikon wilondergaan. Hulle het egter uiteenlopende loopbaanverwagtings. Die meerderheid wil in die toekoms in die huwelik tree - met ouderdomme wat wissel tussen 25 en 30. Hulle wilook kinders hê, maar slegs nadat hul gevestig is in 'n goeie loopbaan. 'n Belangrike besorgdheid oor die toekoms is egter of daar voldoende werksgeleenthede sal wees in die loopbane wat hul wil volg.

M.A. / The alarming increase of single parent families in South Africa is distressing. The rising divorce rate and the crisis surrounding divorce was the motivation for the researcher to undertake this study. Many children in South Africa are disadvantaged by the high divorce rate and much documented evidence proves the extensive sociological and psychological effects which this has on these children. Research has shown over and again that divorce is observed from a child's perspective as being stressful. (Wallerstein & Kelly, 1974) It has also been shown that many children are adversely affected by divorce. However the extent to which they are affected depends on various elements, such as age of the child, time since divorce, sex of the child and developmental stage of the child, to mention but a few. The goals of this study were formulated in a response to the need for the eventual development of a support program for adolescent girls experiencing the divorce of their parents. The aim of this study was to select a sample of adolescent girls and interview them by means of a semi-structured interview in order to hear their experiences of their parents' divorces. Research has shown that boys from divorced families are affected differently to girls from divorced families and hence the researcher chose to interview only females so as to exclude any extraneous variables. (Wallerstein & Blakeslee, 1989) The reason for choosing the stage of adolescence in particular is due to the fact that it represents a critical period in the establishment of the self-concept, due to all the changes that accompany adolescence. Adolescence is complicated if it is experienced without the security and care of a stable family structure and the support of both parents. The emotional stability of the single parent and their dealing with single parenthood influences the adolescent and his or her self-concept to a large extent. This study was undertaken within the framework of a qualitative study and qualitative methods of data collection were applied. The research design integrated exploratory, descriptive and evaluative methods. The phenomenon of divorce with specific reference to the effects it has on adolescents and aspects pertaining to the phenomena of coping with parental divorce, were identified and discussed.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (August 2016) / The purpose of this research paper is to explore the proposition around the factors influencing fashion choices for teenage girls which include attitude, impulse consumption, peer pressure, self-congruency and socialisation agents which all lead to their intention to purchase fashionable clothing brands. The research problem was to identify whether the factors influencing teenagers’ attitudes and decision making styles actually affect their intention to consume fashionable clothing brands. The design approach and methodology was the gathering of qualitative data from conducting five focus groups consisting of six female respondents each. The respondents were teenage girls aged between 13 and 19 years old, from different social backgrounds. Findings showed relatively high levels of consumption of fashion brands among the respondents, but not necessarily conducted in the traditional consumer decision-making processes. The manner in which teenage girls consume fashion brands creates a clear distinction and gap in the market of how to connect with this age segment. Key findings of the research show that teenagers no longer conform to typical adolescent ways, and it is through their consumption behaviour that marketers need to identify ways in which retail marketers can engage with them. / MT 2018

Abstract not available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This study aimed to explore processes encouraging resilience in HIV and AIDS affected Basotho female adolescents in Sedibeng West in the Vaal Triangle area of the Gauteng province; and to identify guidelines to help these individuals to get through their adversities in constructive ways. By using purposive sampling (a non-probability sampling method), 61 high risk, high resilient HIV and AIDS affected Basotho female adolescents in Sedibeng West were identified to participate in the research An extensive literature review revealed the following gaps with regard to the topic of this study: • Shortage of literature regarding the effects that HIV and AIDS have on Basotho female adolescents and how these adolescents cope with these challenges; • Lack of focus on resilience of specific cultural adolescent groups; • Lack of focus on processes that encourage resilience in adolescents; • Need for qualitative studies of resilience and visual qualitative studies in particular. Consequently, a qualitative, visual phenomenological study was done where data was collected by a multi-dimensional data gathering method consisting of open-ended questionnaires, drawings and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that HIV and AIDS affected all participants in a substantial way. The following three main processes encourage resilience in Basotho female adolescents: Benefitting from constructive bonds; Making meaning; and Acting constructively. Furthermore, Spiritual beings and Mothers were primarily identified as figures of strength and support during adolescents’ adversity. Based on the findings, the researcher recommends that: • The Department of Education include all aspects concerning HIV and AIDS, as well as aspects concerning Religion and Spirituality in the Life Skills curriculum without making any preference of religion; • a mother figure should be established in every child’s life at a very young age, preferably as early as birth; • young people be taught skills and strategies to build interpersonal relationships and attachment bonds to significant others; • families and schools empower individuals with skills to find meaning in adversity • parents and family members model constructive regulation of behaviour to adolescents.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study is to investigate the. lifestyles and and romantic relationships of adolescent girls in the Bishop Lavis community. The study also explores the 'taxi-queen' phenomenon as a particular form of relationship. The study employed a qualitative methodology. Data were collected by means of a combination of two methods: firstly, two focus groups each consisting of seven high school learners between the ages of 16 and 18 years and secondly, in-depth interviews conducted with three adolescent girls between the ages of 16 and 20 years who were identified as'taxi-queens'. Regarding lifestyles of the young girls special attention was afforded to leisure activities, the role of the consumer market, domestic circumstances and future expectations. In the case of romantic relationships the study focused on the type of relationship the girls are involved in, reasons for their involvement, the nature and functions of romantic emotions, adolescent dating patterns, sexual behaviour and sexual violence. Regarding lifestyles findings indicate that leisure activities as well as the consumer market playa central role in the lives of these young girls. Leisure activities not only provide pleasure but also function as an escape mechanism from parental supervision, rules and interference. Young girls tend to experience romantic relationships as particularly positive and within these relationships sexuality represents a central component. Sexual activities appear to cornmense during earlier stages of the dating process. Furthermore, such activities are kept secret from parents due to fear of negative reactions and sex-related topics are seldom discussed with parents. Sexual violence often forms a component of romantic relationships between adolescent girls and boys. In conclusion the 'taxi-queen' relationship as a relatively unique form of romantic relationship is demonstrated with reference to the experiences of three young girls involved in such relationships. Recommendations for future research are made on the basis of the findings of this study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel na die lewenstyle en romantiese verhoudings van 'n groep adolessente meisies in die Bishop Lavis gemeenskap. Die studie skenk ook aandag aan die 'taxi-queen' verskynsel as 'n besonderse vorm van romantiese verhouding. 'n Kwalitatiewe metodologiese benadering is gevolg. Data insameling het 'n kombinasie van twee metodes behels: eerstens, twee fokusgroepe bestaande uit sewe hoerskoolmeisies elk tussen die ouderdomme van 16 en 18 jaar en tweedens, in-diepte onderhoude met drie adolessente meisies tussen die ouderdom van 16 en 20 jaar wat as 'taxi queens' geidentifiseer is. Wat lewenstyle vanjong meisies betrefis daar veral gefokus op vryetydsbesteding, die rol van die verbruikersmark, huishoudelike omstandighede en toekomsverwagtinge van die groep meisies. Met betrekking tot romantiese verhoudings is daar hoofsaaklik op die volgende aspekte gefokus: die tipe verboudings waarin die meisies betrokke is, die redes vir hul betrokkenheid, die aard en funksies van romantiese emosies; adolessente hofmakery, die voorkoms van seksuele gedrag, seksuele geweld en dwang. Die studie bevind dat vryetydbesteding en die verbruikermark 'n sentrale rol in die lewe van hierdie meisies speeL Benewens die plesier wat daaruit geput word, funksioneer vryetydbesteding as 'n ontsnappingsmeganisme van ouerlike toesig, reels en inmenging van die kant van ouers. Die studie bevind verder dat jong meisies romantiese verhoudings as besonder positief beleef. Binne sodanige verhoudings verteenwoordig seksualiteit 'n sentrale komponent en seksuele aktiwiteite neem in aanvang tydens 'n vroee stadium in die proses van hofinakery. Betrokkenheid by seksuele aktiwiteite word vir ouers geheim gehou uit vrees vir negatiewe evaluering en jong meisies kommunikeer selde met hul ouers oor sekverwante onderwerpe. Verder is bevind dat seksuele geweld dikwels 'n komponent vorm van romantiese verhoudings tussen adolessente meisies en seuns. Ten slotte word die besonderse aard van die sogenaamde 'taxi-queen' verhouding beklemtoon aan die hand van die ervaringe van drie jong meisies betrokke by sodanige verhoudings. Op grond van die studie word daar aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing gemaak.

Thesis (PhDSportwet)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of participation in a special squad-based talent development programme on selected physical variables and skills in adolescent girls. This investigation was initiated in the team sport of netball in order to determine if participation in a talent development programme of this kind can be successful in the South African context. A second purpose was to consider the effectiveness of the squad-based model in relation to the traditional school-based model that is commonly implemented for talent development in South African netball. This study followed a static group design in a field setting. The squad-based group (N=22) was composed of netball players ages 14 – 18 years old from two senior high schools in a previously disadvantaged community. The school-based group (N=45) was composed of netball players from the first and second teams at three schools in the same region, that maintained a good standard of netball and had qualified coaches. The subjects in the squad-based group participated in a special eight-month training programme, which consisted out of 2 training sessions (90minutes) and 1 match per week. The subjects in the school-based group participated in their normal pattern of netball practices and school matches. The results of this study lead to some general conclusions about the squadbased training model: • Four components of skill development improved significantly • Significant changes were found in four of the physical variables associated with netball performance. • The squad-based model appeared to have been significantly more effective than the school-based model in the development of the physical variables of flexibility, speed, throwing velocity and aerobic fitness.Based on the results the squad-based model is proposed as an approach to talent development that can make a significant contribution to the development of skill. Continuous refinement of current models and even the creation of new models, may one day create systems where every child can reach toward his or her own sporting potential. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie behels die deelname van ‘n geselekteerde oefengroep adollessente meisies aan ‘n talentontwikkelingsprogram. Die doel van die studie was om die invloed van deelname aan sodanige program op gekose fisiek- en vaardigheidskomponente na te gaan. Netbal, as ‘n spansport, is gebruik om te bepaal of hierdie tipe talentontwikkelingsprogramme suksesvol in die huidige Suid- Afrikaanse konteks kan wees. ‘n Verdere doelwit was om die effektiwiteit van hierdie oefengroepmodel teenoor die meer tradisionele skoolgebaseerde-model, wat tans algemeen in Suid-Afrikaanse netbal toegepas word, na te gaan. Die studie het ‘n statiese-groepontwerp gevolg in ‘n veldtoetsing omgewing. Die oefengroep (N=22) het bestaan uit netbalspeelsters tussen die ouderdomme 14-18 jaar, van twee senior hoërskole vanuit die agtergeblewe gemeenskappe. Die skoolgebaseerde groep (N=45) het bestaan uit speelsters van die eerste en tweede netbalspanne van drie skole in dieselfde streek. Hierdie drie skole beskik oor gekwalifiseerde afrigters en handhaaf ‘n hoë speelstandaard. Die speelsters van die oefengroep het aan ‘n spesiale agtmaande oefenprogram deelgeneem, met twee oefensessies per week (90 minute) asook een wedstryd per week. Die netbalspeelsters in die skoolgebaseerde-program het hulle normale oefenpatroon gevolg en aan skoolwedstryde deelgeneem. Die resultate van hierdie studie het gelei tot sekere algemene gevolgtrekkings omtrent die geselekteerde oefengroepmodel: • Vier komponente van die spelvaardighede het statisties beduidend verbeter. • Beduidende statistiese veranderinge is waargeneem in vier van die fisieke komponente wat met netbal geassosieer word. • Dit blyk dat die oefengroepmodel statisties meer effektief was in die onwikkeling van fisieke komponente soos lenigheid, spoed, aerobiese fiksheid en spoed van gooie, as die skoolgebaseerde oefengroep.Gebaseer op die resultate van die oefengroepmodel, kan hierdie benadering tot ontwikkeling ‘n beduidende verskil maak in die ontwikkeling van netbalvaardighede. Verdere verfyning van huidige talentontwikkelinsgmodelle, mag in die toekoms aanleiding gee tot bruikbare sisteme waar elke deelnemer die kans gegun sal word om sy sportpotensiaal te bereik.

African pensioner grandmothers and their teenage granddaughters constitute a vulnerable sector in our communities. Despite financial constraints these grandmothers struggle against great odds to provide a better life for their granddaughters. In such households, granddaughters are exposed to socialization strategies that are devised to cope with limitations. These strategies impact on the way they construct notions of gender and sexuality. Using qualitative research methodology to investigate the responses to interviews and questionnaires of a selected group of five female teenage learners and their grandmothers at a secondary school in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, I discuss how these learners and their principal carers construct gender and sexuality. I make use of postmodern principles to analyse the impact of changing household patterns and coping strategies on these young women. I discuss the gendered division of labour, their 'perceived' notions about femininity and masculinity and bodies. I focus especially on how grandmothers use their own construction of gender and sexuality in influencing their granddaughters by what they say and also by what they do not say. In this investigation, I include Western theorizing and traditional African teachings about gender construction and sexuality. This study demonstrates that gender is not innate but fluid and that constructions of sexuality can create docile 'feminine' bodies. However, there are indications that these young women are resisting the constructs of their grandmothers to create new discourses of their own. Female agency is a mechanism that can be utilized to generate new subjectivities. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Child-headed households are becoming increasingly prevalent in the absences of parents, especially in township and rural communities. Parents become absent for different reasons, such as needing to find employment away from home or falling ill and dying. Many extended families can no longer financially afford to care for the children within their own homes. Often different family members will take in siblings as they are unable to accommodate them all in their home due to lack of space or financial resources. As a result siblings would be scattered within the extended family. Child-headed households have become a solution whereby siblings could keep living together as a unit as well as staying within their known environment. Often, however, the responsibility of managing the households would be placed on the adolescent girls due to gender-role division. This could leave the girls vulnerable to the possibility of dropping out of school as managing a household, caring for younger siblings and keeping up with academic responsibilities places adolescent girls under intense pressure. The research focused on the gendered experiences of African adolescent girls from child-headed households in Orlando-West, Soweto. A qualitative research approach was used and the study was conducted by means of a hermeneutic phenomenological case study research design. Feminism, as a paradigm and main theoretical orientation, framed the study and findings. The data collection methods included two focus group interviews, one group of girls and one of boys. Three specifically selected girl participants living within the contexts of a child-headed home were selected. Over eight months and by means of individual interviews, the completion of a booklet and photo-voice activities the participants shared their gendered experiences with me within the contexts of a child-headed household. The findings of the data analysis indicated that adolescent girls from child-headed households specific to this study had to make meaning of their lives whilst still being influenced by patriarchal cultural practices and traditions from the past. The division of household chores in the home as modelled by parents was an instrumental factor in initiating gender inequality. The second theme related to the adolescent girls’ daily struggles in adverse circumstances as they had to make meaning and continually adjust to living arrangements that were not always stable. By virtue of their gender, dangers from the community were persistent. Living as a girl within a child-headed household also meant being confronted daily with the socio-economic hardships that influenced being able to attain academic support at school, and purchasing toiletries, food and daily necessities for their families.