Migration has always been part of South African history, both in the collective and as individuals. Under apartheid, children were separated from their fathers and sometimes mothers for long periods of time, and as a coping strategy, foster care was introduced. This trend is still noticeable as we continue to find both men and women moving from rural households in pursuit of employment. In countries where gender roles are still very inflexible and the mother’s main role is perceived as that of raising children and the father’s as providing for the family, migration of mothers is perceived as a much larger disruption in a child’s life than is the father’s absence. Drawing from critical feminist theory, which pays particular attention to issues of discrimination and oppression against women, my study aimed at exploring the perceptions Madelakufa community women have about migrant women labourers who leave their children. A qualitative approach was employed, and data were collected through conducting three focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology: Research Consultation)

Survey on maternal satisfaction in receiving spinal anesthesia for Cesarean section / A quantitative descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the maternal satisfaction after the experience of spinal anaesthesia for Caesarean section in one public hospital of Gauteng Province in South Africa. Data were collected by administering a questionnaire which included the demographic profile and satisfaction score in terms of perioperative elements to 82 women in their postoperative period. Analysis of data was performed by The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 13 and Excel 2010 was used for tabular and graphical illustrations. The findings revealed that the majority of women studied were black (95,1%), not married (73,2%) and unemployed (64,6%). The levels of maternal satisfaction in terms of intraoperative, postoperative and other perioperative elements were high, at 94,4%, 90,3% and 85,4% respectively. The lowest percentage (76,8%) was found for the maternal satisfaction about the preoperative explanation. The overall level of maternal satisfaction in this study was 86,7%. The majority of women (82,9%) would opt for spinal anaesthesia in future, while 6,1% would not accept it and 11,0% were not sure if they would opt for it or not. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Survey on maternal satisfaction in receiving spinal anesthesia for Cesarean section / A quantitative descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the maternal satisfaction after the experience of spinal anaesthesia for Caesarean section in one public hospital of Gauteng Province in South Africa. Data were collected by administering a questionnaire which included the demographic profile and satisfaction score in terms of perioperative elements to 82 women in their postoperative period. Analysis of data was performed by The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 13 and Excel 2010 was used for tabular and graphical illustrations. The findings revealed that the majority of women studied were black (95,1%), not married (73,2%) and unemployed (64,6%). The levels of maternal satisfaction in terms of intraoperative, postoperative and other perioperative elements were high, at 94,4%, 90,3% and 85,4% respectively. The lowest percentage (76,8%) was found for the maternal satisfaction about the preoperative explanation. The overall level of maternal satisfaction in this study was 86,7%. The majority of women (82,9%) would opt for spinal anaesthesia in future, while 6,1% would not accept it and 11,0% were not sure if they would opt for it or not. / Health Studies / M. A. (Public Health)

M.A. / The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of a substance abuse primary prevention programme and ascertain its influence on three variables namely; attitude behaviour and knowledge of grade eight learners. The literature review revealed that there is a possibility that substance abuse awareness talk changes the behaviour and attitude of learners thus improving their knowledge about substance abuse effects. Whereas the United Nations indicated that for the success of the prevention programme it should be coupled with life skills. It was also revealed in the literature that the evaluation of prevention programmes was rarely done in South Africa due to lack of funding. The Elim Clinic as the organisation that deals with substance abuse treatment and prevention maintains that prevention is better than cure, therefore, all young people must be exposed to their substance abuse awareness talks. Peer educators of the secondary school presented the programme for grade 8 learners. A sample of thirty grade eight learners was systematically selected for this study in one of the secondary schools at Tembisa. The data were collected by means a of questionnaire based on background information of respondents, attitude, knowledge and behaviour of substance abuse. Due to the quantitative approach employed the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was utilized to determine the difference between the pre-test and post-test results. The findings of the study clarified that the program had an effect on knowledge and no statistical significance on attitude and behaviour. It was concluded, too, that information given to young people cannot determine change in behaviour and attitude, and increasing their knowledge does not mean they will not abuse substances in the future. / Prof. B. Mitchell

The aim of the study was to explore and describe the feelings of people with physical disabilities regarding discrimination in the community of Tembisa. Discrimination against people with physical disabilities is one of the major problems affecting the larger society, impacting on their lives. The exploratory and descriptive designs were used because of insufficient information available on this topic particularly in Tembisa and to describe the feelings of people with disabilities regarding discrimination. A semi-structured interview schedule was used as a data-gathering instrument. The study was conducted among people with physical disabilities who are clients of the organisation Association for Physically Disabled (APD). Ten respondents were then selected following a purposive non-probability sampling method. The study revealed that most people with physical disabilities experience difficulty in accessing some of the public buildings in Tembisa as they are not wheelchair friendly. Housing for people with disabilities was also raised as another problem experienced by people with disabilities in general. The findings further proved that not much has been done regarding inclusion of people with disabilities by employing them in the open labour market. In conclusion, it has been proved that people with disabilities feel isolated, rejected, marginalised and stigmatised in the community of Tembisa by their able-bodied counterparts. Recommendations are provided regarding how people with disabilities can be included in Tembisa and mainstream society. / Dissertation (MA(Social Work)(Health Care))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Social Work / unrestricted

M. Tech. Business Administration / The aim of this research is to investigate the extent of mobile banking usage among low-income people in Johannesburg. A descriptive design was conducted; data by means of a survey, using self-administered questionnaires, was collected from the inhabitants of the informal settlements of Tembisa and Alexandra Townships in Johannesburg. This represented a total population of about 6000 households. From which, a sample of 200 households was systematically selected randomly.

This quantitative, descriptive study investigated factors that contributed to TB patients registered in four Tembisa clinics in 2001, defaulting treatment. An interview schedule with closed and open-ended questions was used for 30 patients who could be traced who had interrupted treatment. The reasons for treatment interruption were related to socio-economic, TB policy-related and health care worker-related factors. The findings illustrate that TB management requires a multi-sectoral approach and joint efforts to tackle the disease that continues to kill people even though it is curable. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

This quantitative, descriptive study investigated factors that contributed to TB patients registered in four Tembisa clinics in 2001, defaulting treatment. An interview schedule with closed and open-ended questions was used for 30 patients who could be traced who had interrupted treatment. The reasons for treatment interruption were related to socio-economic, TB policy-related and health care worker-related factors. The findings illustrate that TB management requires a multi-sectoral approach and joint efforts to tackle the disease that continues to kill people even though it is curable. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Proceeding from the premise that the meaning of performances flows from contextual, textual, and nonverbal elements, this dissertation explores layers of meaning arising from performances of selected South African struggle songs, poems and plays. In particular, it focuses on performances of the Mayibuye Cultural Group which functioned as an adaptive mechanism in the changing sociopolitical landscape of the 1980s and early 1990s, and on contemporary performances. The analysis of the songs, poems and play underscores the importance of nonverbal elements for the interpretation of performances, and proposes that performances functioned as debate and as a discursive presence in the public sphere. In particular, the performances glorified a masculine conception of the struggle and of South African society which highlighted the fragile gender politics in South Africa, and functioned as a vibrant mechanism for the expression of sanctioned criticism especially for the marginalised and for those at the fringes of power. / Anthropology / M.A. (Anthropology)

Proceeding from the premise that the meaning of performances flows from contextual, textual, and nonverbal elements, this dissertation explores layers of meaning arising from performances of selected South African struggle songs, poems and plays. In particular, it focuses on performances of the Mayibuye Cultural Group which functioned as an adaptive mechanism in the changing sociopolitical landscape of the 1980s and early 1990s, and on contemporary performances. The analysis of the songs, poems and play underscores the importance of nonverbal elements for the interpretation of performances, and proposes that performances functioned as debate and as a discursive presence in the public sphere. In particular, the performances glorified a masculine conception of the struggle and of South African society which highlighted the fragile gender politics in South Africa, and functioned as a vibrant mechanism for the expression of sanctioned criticism especially for the marginalised and for those at the fringes of power. / Anthropology / M.A. (Anthropology)