A dissertation in fulfilment for Master of Arts in Media Studies Faculty of Humanities School of Language, Literature and Media Studies (SLLM) University of the Witwatersrand 2016 / This research study essentially sets out to explore the practices of young, ordinary, South African women who take and post selfies on social media platforms, like Instagram. The general commentary surrounding selfies is typically negative, and tends to frame the selfietaker as a narcissistic, self-absorbed individual. Therefore, this study is interested in understanding what this very particular smartphone-enabled photographic technique means to this group of women, and in doing so, aims to determine whether or not there are underlying significances to such practices. This research study adopts a vast framework of literature in order to conceptualize and contextualize selfies in contemporary culture, by drawing on the rich history of self-portraiture and snapshots as well as concepts of mediation and the representation of the self online; in addition to describing the role that mobile technologies and social media platforms have played in contributing to cementing selfies as a cultural hallmark in today’s society. This study is additionally grounded upon three dominant theoretical themes, namely: narcissism, self-exploration, and self-regulation; and Christopher Lasch, Michel Foucault, Angela McRobbie and Rosalind Gill’s theoretical contributions are predominantly referred to in an attempt to explain such principles adequately. Through the responses that were yielded by interviewing 14 young, ordinary, South African women, this research study essentially established that the practices of selfie-taking do in fact play a significant role in the lives of these young women, from empowering them and teaching them to learn to love and accept themselves again, to inspiring personal growth, capturing special moments and memories, and allowing them to feel accepted and as though they belong and have a fixed placed in society. Therefore, this study argues that selfies are not necessarily only about narcissism and self-obsession, but rather more about the notion of self-love and acceptance (for this group of participants at least). / MT2017

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of the Arts (Media Studies) in the Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand, March, 2017 / Many young black aspirational South African women are involved in the construction of their identities, and their ideal selves, through their self-display on Instagram. Within the framework of certain hegemonic structures, these women are seen exercising their ‘freedom’ within a post-feminist setting, as neoliberal citizens, and thus striving for a sense of empowerment from this engagement. This project explores the self-display of 10 of these young women that have each accumulated more than 10,000 followers on Instagram. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of them, and their Instagram images were analysed, in order to find out how their online performances relate to consumption and global celebrity culture, and how these ideologies are depicted in their images. They draw inspiration from certain black female celebrities such as Beyoncé and Rihanna, and their emulation of these celebrities is used in their identity construction. They do this by displaying a lifestyle of glamorous consumption by incorporating certain exclusive brands and fashionable items into their online presentation. Additionally, they modify and model themselves to fit a specific beauty ideal, which is characterized by long straight hair, fair skin and a curvaceous body. By doing all of this, these young women are, by their own definition attaining a level of ‘success’, and achieve the status of ‘Insta-Celeb’ by the Instagram community. The ideological frameworks on which this construction is built, involves a collective imperative to be liked and accepted by their online followers, the desire for status, and the contradictory creation of a faux idea of female empowerment that is, in reality, not actually as free as it seems. / XL2018

A large body of research has documented the deleterious relationship between work stress and health and wellbeing. This research has also examined which factors intrinsic and extrinsic to the individual create variations in this pattern of relationship. Two notable factors in this regard are gender and social support. Previous research has indicated that gender and social support can lead to variations in the way individuals perceive, cope with and react to stress. This research has also indicated that gender can influence the extent to which individuals will effectively utilise different sources of social support. However, much of this research has focused on a dichotomous conceptualisation of gender, restricting the exploration of gender to that which is biologically defined. Research advances have been made utilising Bem’s (1974) Theory of Psychological Androgyny. This theory has acknowledged and explored socially constructed ‘within gender’ differences of masculinity and femininity, proposing that androgyny, defined as an equal balance of masculine and feminine traits within an individual, independent of biological sex, is the ideal with regard to experienced optimal health and wellbeing. While this theory has enjoyed a vast empirical base that indicates that those with an androgynous sex role identity tend to enjoy the greatest health and wellbeing; the research on psychological androgyny has not been without its limitations. Competing models of gender identity, such as the ‘Differentiated Model have suggested that gender identities are made up of both socially desirable and socially undesirable sex-typed behavioural traits; this model promoting a ‘new prescription’ for gender in the 21st century. This new prescription requires the acknowledgement of both types of sex-based behavioural traits, expanding the conceptualisation of gender to take into account both negative and positive sex-based feminine and masculine traits, that is, traits that are both socially desirable and undesirable in terms of masculinity and femininity. This new prescription thus intends to segregate and explore the relationship between socially desirable and socially undesirable sex- typed behavioural traits to health and wellbeing. Consequently, the present study adopts this prescription in order to examine this expanded conceptualisation of sex role identity, utilising a South African sample of female managers. More specifically, the present study examines the relationship between socially desirable and socially undesirable sex role identities and perceptions of work stress, social support, psychological wellbeing and self-esteem. In addition, the present study examines the moderating effect of social support in the relationship between indicators of work stress and wellbeing. The Extended Personality Attributes Questionnaire (EPAQ) was revised and utilised to assess the expanded conceptualisation of both socially desirable and socially undesirable sex role identities within a South African sample of 1477 female managers accessed from two national financial institutions and one tertiary institution. Results of the study indicate that the socially desirable, positively valenced identities fare better on health indicators than the socially undesirable, negatively valenced identities. In all instances positively valenced sex role identities perceive the least stress and have the highest level of psychological wellbeing and self-esteem as compared to the negatively valenced identities. Clearly those with negative identities, more particularly those that were negatively feminine or negatively androgynous are significantly worse off in terms of health and wellbeing than those with positive identities. Overall, the hypotheses proposing significant differences between positive identities, that is, positive androgyny and the negative femininity and negative androgyny, with a few exceptions, were supported. Three sources of social support, that is, colleague, supervisor and partner support had a main effect on psychological wellbeing while all five sources, that is colleague, supervisor, partner, family and friend had a main effect on self-esteem. With regard to moderating effects, both colleague and supervisor support interacted with work stress to moderate the relationship between work stress and psychological wellbeing to reduce the impact of work stress on wellbeing. None of the non-work sources of support interacted to moderate the effect of work stress on psychological wellbeing. In addition no interaction effects for all sources of support were observed for self-esteem with the exception of friend support which moderated the relationship between work stress and self-esteem. However, this interaction effect was in an unexpected direction, in that friend support exacerbated the relationship; indicating that the higher the social support the lower the self-esteem. Based on the results of the study and the methodology utilised, a number of strengths and weaknesses of the present research are identified. With regard to strengths, the present study has added to the literature on sex role identity and its implication for female managers within a South African context by identifying specific positive sex role identities and specific negative sex role identities and their relationship to health and wellbeing indicators within an occupational context. In addition, the findings of the present research suggest that there may be specific contingencies pertaining to stressor situations, the contexts within which they occur and the domains upon which they predict, which may prescribe which sex role identity may be most or least beneficial in terms of health and wellbeing. Study limitations have both theoretical and methodological implications for future research. In particular, issues pertaining to the measurement of gender are outlined that need to be resolved by future researchers in order to effectively measure the construct of gender and its relationship to wellbeing. In addition, in order to determine which sex role identities will have the most or least beneficial health effects, future researchers need to develop and explore specificity hypotheses that enable the examination of gender in relation to specific stressors within specific socio-cultural contexts and the relationship thereof to particular predictor domains.

This study investigates the role of social support in women coping with divorce in mid­ life. Five women were interviewed and a qualitative analysis undertaken, in order to explore the subjective experience of social support during the period of separation and divorce, and its effect on post-divorce adjustment. In particular, the usefulness of formal support groups was examined. It was found that most of the women derived perceived social support from friends and female family members, as well as from their church membership and work environment. It appeared that social support facilitated adjustment in several ways, but most notably in providing esteem support and emotional support which enabled personal growth. All of the women felt that they had developed a sense of their own identity through the process of divorce. Support groups were found to be potentially effective in providing assistance in dealing with emotional issues such as anger and forgiveness, as well as practical and informational support. Such groups might also provide a temporary community where divorced women can interact with other people who are experiencing the same things, thereby freeing them to grieve. The study illuminated the subjective, often unique experience of separation and divorce; this emphasises the challenge for support groups to offer support which addresses this uniqueness. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This study investigates the role of social support in women coping with divorce in mid­ life. Five women were interviewed and a qualitative analysis undertaken, in order to explore the subjective experience of social support during the period of separation and divorce, and its effect on post-divorce adjustment. In particular, the usefulness of formal support groups was examined. It was found that most of the women derived perceived social support from friends and female family members, as well as from their church membership and work environment. It appeared that social support facilitated adjustment in several ways, but most notably in providing esteem support and emotional support which enabled personal growth. All of the women felt that they had developed a sense of their own identity through the process of divorce. Support groups were found to be potentially effective in providing assistance in dealing with emotional issues such as anger and forgiveness, as well as practical and informational support. Such groups might also provide a temporary community where divorced women can interact with other people who are experiencing the same things, thereby freeing them to grieve. The study illuminated the subjective, often unique experience of separation and divorce; this emphasises the challenge for support groups to offer support which addresses this uniqueness. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is estimated that 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population resides in informal settlements. Cape Town (South Africa), in particular, has a projected 223 informal settlements within its boundaries (which house almost 136 000 households). The national government has attempted to meet housing needs through the upgrading of informal settlements. In situ upgrading has been seen as a particularly popular route to follow. This study aimed to investigate the City of Cape Town’s governmentality in the in situ upgrading of Makhaza and New Rest in Cape Town and explore the implications of this governmentality for women’s social networks in these two settlements. The study focused on the governmentality elements of rationalities, practices and techniques and counter-conduct. A review of the literature shows little attention has been paid to the various governmentalities (practice, techniques and rationalities) that exist within informal settlement upgrading. The literature has also not paid much attention to how the governmentality of those undertaking informal settlement upgrading, relates to women’s social networks (and their governmentality) within upgraded sites. The research made use of qualitatively-driven methodologies and approaches, employing the techniques of Neighbourhood Social Mapping, Social Network Assessment (SNA), semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, transect walks, observational studies and secondary data gathering. The study found, amongst other things, that the governmentality (rationalities, techniques and practices) used by the City to plan and implement the upgrading of informal settlements differs from that of the women’s social networks. The profound differences in governmentalities have meant that the settlements do not meet the needs of the women and their social networks. In response the women have redesigned their new settlement to meet the needs of their social networks. Integral Theory is used in this thesis to map and better understand the differing governmentalities and their relationship and was used to propose an Integral approach in managing differing governmentalities. The thesis suggests that, in order to understand fully and respond appropriately to the challenges faced in upgrading, those in power need to be aware of and include all perspectives and actors within their upgrading process and practice. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar word beraam dat 70% van sub-Sahara Afrika se stedelike populasie in informele nedersettings woon. Kaapstad (Suid-Afrika), spesifiek, het ‘n beraamde 223 informele nedersettings binne die grense (wat omtrent 136 000 huishoudings huisves). Die nasionale regering het onderneem om behuisings behoefte te voorsien deur die opgradering van informele nedersettings. In situ opgradering is gesien as ‘n besonder gewilde roete om te volg. Hierdie studie het gepoog om die City of Cape Town (die Stad) se governmentality te ondersoek in die opgradering van Makhaza en New Rest in Kaapstad. So ook om die implikasies van hierdie governmentality vir vroue se sosiale netwerke in hierdie nedersettings te verken. Die studie het gefokus op die governmentality (regeringsmentaliteit) beginsels van rationaliteite, praktyke en tegnieke en teen-optrede. ‘n Oorsig van die literatuur toon min aandag is geskenk aan die verskillende governmentalities wat binne opgraderingsprojekte vir informele nedersettings bestaan. Die literatuur het ook nie veel aandag gegee aan hoe die governmentality van die onderneming van die informele nedersettings met betrekking tot vroue se sosiale netwerke (en hul governmentality) binne opgradeerde terreine. Die navorsing het gebruik gemaak van kwaliteits gedrewe metodologie en benaderings, die gebruik van tegnieke van omgewing sosiale kartering, sosiale netwerk beraming, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, vraelyste, deursnee wandeling, waarnemings studies en sekondêre data insameling. Die studie het onder andere bevind dat die governmentality (rationaliteite, tegnieke en praktyke), soos gebruik deur die Stad om opgradering van informele nedersettings te beplan en implimenteer, verskil van die van die vroue se sosiale netwerke. Die diepgaande verskille in governmentalities het gelei daartoe dat die nedersettings nie voldoen aan die behoeftes van die vroue en hul sosiale netwerke nie. In reaksie daarop het die vroue die nuwe nedersetting herontwerp om in hul sosiale netwerk behoeftes te voorsien. Integrale Teorie is in hierdie tesis gebruik om die verskille in governmentalities en hul verwantskappe uiteen te sit en beter te kan verstaan en ook om die Integrale benadering in die hantering van verskillende governmetnalities voor te stel. Die tesis dui daarop dat in orde om ten volle te verstaan en toepaslik te reageer op die uitdagings wat gepaard gaan met opgradering moet die wat in beheer is van alle perspektiewe en akteurs binne die opgraderings proses bewus wees en dit in ag neem.