Workplace violence is reported to be on the increase, and within the South African Police Service, the inherently stressful nature of policing leads to high rates of suicide and violent behaviour. Contemporary investigations of workplace violence reveal epistemological, methodological and theoretical biases towards positivistic, rational-empirical approaches resulting in partial understandings and limited scope. This study aimed to qualitatively explore workplace violence as a socially embedded act. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a primary participant and three others directly related to him in order to supplement existing understandings from a social constructionist perspective. Discourse analysis allowed for discovery of socio-historically located discursive networks, while an ethnographic or empathic technique was used to gain insight into the life worlds of participants. Discourses of organisational negligence, betrayal and concurrent discourses of group solidarity and cohesion and organisational culpability reveal a reliance on external locus of control and avoidance coping. Discourses of absolution due to another‟s involvement, retribution, justice, and innocence perverted by a stronger agency relied on strategies of justification, denial, disclaimer, excuse or apology to negotiate positive participant identities. Discourses of masculinity allowed for a corroboration, justification and maintenance of male violence in general, and social discourses of female subjugation and commodification were used as a means to deflect responsibility and as justifications for actions of violence towards women. Inherent in all discourses was a deep socially and historically embedded conception that facilitates violent action as an expression of maleness in all spheres of life. From an ethnographic or empathic perspective, participants‟ world views were polarised around masculinity and femininity, suggesting that an ability to remain unemotional in situations of turmoil is a highly-prized characteristic of maleness, especially in a hypermasculine setting such as the police. The implicit and explicit approbation for the expression of masculine stoicism, as opposed to feminine or „weaker‟ emotions, causes recruits to experience isolation and shame if unable to face traumatic situations with the requisite dispassion, leading to negative coping mechanisms, depression, and suicide or violence. The conclusion can be drawn that prevention of violence relies on extrication of the concept of violence from masculinity at ideological, cultural and social levels within the SAPS, and the concurrent reduction in justificatory discourses reliant on an external locus of control. This has considerable implications, including the radical transformation of the organisation through the development of a clear vision of the future that can be supported by management, members and the community; the empowerment of employees through active participation in decisions and development of skills through training; rigorous modification of the practices that generate inequitable social conditions; and the revolution of cultural practices that venerate and enforce gendered inequalities. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

Thesis (M. P. A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2009. / "Spring 2009." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-62).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Stephen McDowell, Florida State University, College of Communication, Dept. of Communication. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 23, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2003. / Bibliography: leaves 108-119.

Workplace violence is reported to be on the increase, and within the South African Police Service, the inherently stressful nature of policing leads to high rates of suicide and violent behaviour. Contemporary investigations of workplace violence reveal epistemological, methodological and theoretical biases towards positivistic, rational-empirical approaches resulting in partial understandings and limited scope. This study aimed to qualitatively explore workplace violence as a socially embedded act. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a primary participant and three others directly related to him in order to supplement existing understandings from a social constructionist perspective. Discourse analysis allowed for discovery of socio-historically located discursive networks, while an ethnographic or empathic technique was used to gain insight into the life worlds of participants. Discourses of organisational negligence, betrayal and concurrent discourses of group solidarity and cohesion and organisational culpability reveal a reliance on external locus of control and avoidance coping. Discourses of absolution due to another‟s involvement, retribution, justice, and innocence perverted by a stronger agency relied on strategies of justification, denial, disclaimer, excuse or apology to negotiate positive participant identities. Discourses of masculinity allowed for a corroboration, justification and maintenance of male violence in general, and social discourses of female subjugation and commodification were used as a means to deflect responsibility and as justifications for actions of violence towards women. Inherent in all discourses was a deep socially and historically embedded conception that facilitates violent action as an expression of maleness in all spheres of life. From an ethnographic or empathic perspective, participants‟ world views were polarised around masculinity and femininity, suggesting that an ability to remain unemotional in situations of turmoil is a highly-prized characteristic of maleness, especially in a hypermasculine setting such as the police. The implicit and explicit approbation for the expression of masculine stoicism, as opposed to feminine or „weaker‟ emotions, causes recruits to experience isolation and shame if unable to face traumatic situations with the requisite dispassion, leading to negative coping mechanisms, depression, and suicide or violence. The conclusion can be drawn that prevention of violence relies on extrication of the concept of violence from masculinity at ideological, cultural and social levels within the SAPS, and the concurrent reduction in justificatory discourses reliant on an external locus of control. This has considerable implications, including the radical transformation of the organisation through the development of a clear vision of the future that can be supported by management, members and the community; the empowerment of employees through active participation in decisions and development of skills through training; rigorous modification of the practices that generate inequitable social conditions; and the revolution of cultural practices that venerate and enforce gendered inequalities. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

Thesis (Ph. D. (Criminology)) --University of Limpopo, 2018 / Schools mirror the culture of violence that is endemic in our society. They have therefore become the focus of research on violence. However, much of our knowledge on violence that occurs in schools is on learners as victims of educator-on- learner and learner-on-learner violence; and as perpetrators of learner-on-learner because a great amount of research focuses only on these types of violence. Very little research has been done on teachers as victims of violence, and of learnerperpetrated violence, in particular. The little knowledge that is available indicates that objectionable behaviour, such as ill-discipline, class disruptions, and aggression and violent behaviour are aspects of interpersonal relationships that may cause teachers stress, burnout, job dissatisfaction, ill health, and lead to them quitting the teaching profession. This study investigated learner-perpetrated violence as a school and workplace violence. The results of this study, which are the outcomes of independently conducted qualitative and quantitative studies, confirm the parallel existence of learner-perpetrated violence and teacher stress and related ill health, behavioural reaction and organisational effects. The implications of these results are that the current legislation, the South African Schools Act, and regulations and policies associated with it, is inadequate in preventing the victimisation of teachers by learners, in their workplaces. Hence, this study recommends a model that can be implemented to prevent violence against teachers at a primary, secondary, and tertiary level. Learner violence is an occupational health and safety risk for teachers and needs to be handled in the same was as any other occupational health and safety hazard; hence the desire by teachers to be covered against violence at work under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It is recommended that future research should focus on the incorporation of violence into the existing list of occupational hazard. This will force employers to take every step possible to prevent the victimisation of teachers in their workplaces. The reduction of incidents of violence against teachers has the potential of slowing teacher attrition down.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1999. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2953. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaves i-iii. Includes bibliographical references (178).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-123).

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