In this investigation an attempt was firstly made to define, describe and explicate the phenomenon of HIV/AIDS providing a basis for understanding the multidimensional nature of HIV/AIDS in terms of its history, key characteristics, etiology, consequences, preventative and care strategies. Secondly, culture and cultural practices in general were investigated after which the characteristics, functions and elements of culture were studied. Hereafter, the researcher further investigated the situation of HIV/AIDS and cultural practices of the Batswana in Botswana through a literature study. The aim of the study was to establish the influence of cultural practices of the Batswana on the transmission of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. Three research questions were formulated for the study. The research questions included: (a) What are the current nature and prevalence of cultural practices of the Batswana in relation to the transmission of HIV/AIDS in Botswana? (b) To what extents do these cultural practices contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS? (c) What can be done to prevent the problem of HIV/AIDS in relation with cultural practices of Batswana people in Botswana? The selected research approach for the study was the combined quantitative- qualitative approach and the type of research, was identified as applied research. An exploratory research design was selected to reach the objectives of the study, namely: (a) To conduct the investigation within a theoretical based framework by undertaking a literature review on HIV/AIDS as a social phenomena, culture and cultural practices in general and the culture of the Batswana specifically. (b) To explore through an empirical study, the nature and prevalence of cultural practices of Batswana in relation to the transmission of HIV/AIDS in Botswana (c) To provide conclusions regarding the cultural practices of the Batswana in relation to the transmission of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. (d) To make recommendations for culturally appropriate behaviour-change strategies for Batswana in Botswana in an attempt to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS. Qualitative data through focus group discussions (22 females and 26 males) was collected. The sample thus included 48 respondents. The empirical research findings confirmed that it is acceptable in Botswana that men can have multiple relationships even after marriage. This includes polygamy, which is still part of the Batswana culture. Children are very important therefore the use of condoms is unacceptable. Prevention strategies do not take cultural practices into consideration. The empirical findings based on quantitative data collected through a structured interview schedule with 66 respondents revealed that the two statements: (a) “ A man is like a bull and should not be confined to one pasture” and (b) “Men are the only persons who can go to the cattle post and this puts women in subordinate positions” are part of the Batswana culture. These behaviours contribute to the spread of HIV. Alcohol consumption is also a contributory factor to the transmission of HIV. The family should take responsibility in educating the children about HIV/AIDS. The aim of the study and study objectives were achieved and a detailed presentation of recommendations are included in this research report. / Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Social Work / unrestricted

No description available.

Ageing in Africa and the world over is a phenomenon that affects individuals and societies. The expanding older population (people aged 60+) in South Africa led to this research, which represents an attempt to explore the experiences of loneliness of older persons in Africa and thereby gain some understanding of the subjective experiences of loneliness of a group of older African persons in their socio–cultural context. Defining loneliness from the existing literature was challenging since it became evident that loneliness in the literature is defined and researched largely in terms of individual meanings attached to the concept, and the applicability of such individual meanings to an African context remains unconfirmed. Experiences of loneliness are not well known among older Setwana–speaking persons, and few studies have focused on collectivistic experiences as such. Loneliness is considered a complex, contextual experience that goes beyond the individual and also includes culture as an inseparable aspect of people’s lives. Conceptualising loneliness as a socially constructed phenomenon places this study within the paradigm of phenomenology exploring people’s experiences. The philosophy of ubuntu relates to being in the world among others thus creating the concept of a social self. In essence, to be a self, one has to belong to a community, and one is always contextualised as an existence among others in interaction. A qualitative design was used together with a purposive convenience sampling method whereby the participants were selected on the basis of their availability during the research period. The participants’ ages ranged from 61 up to 73, and the sample included 16 female and two male participants. Two data sets were collected at different times from members of the Day Care Centre for the Aged in Ikageng, Potchefstroom, South Africa, as well as community residents who did not attend the centre. Various qualitative techniques were used to collect the data including the Mmogo–methodTM, in–depth individual interviews and focus groups. Multiple methods were employed for analysing the data including phenomenological analysis, key–words–in–context and analysis strategies as stipulated by the Mmogo–methodTM. The rigour of the data was enhanced through the use of diverse qualitative data–gathering methods as well as an array of qualitative analysis methods in a process known as crystallisation. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the North–West University, Potchefstroom Campus, under a larger project, “An exploration of enabling contexts (05K14)”. The researchers constructed two main themes from the findings: descriptions of loneliness and coping with loneliness. Loneliness related to the self and to others, and coping with loneliness involved actively engaging with the environment, being with others and using coping strategies. Some of the findings are linked to the existing literature, and some are unique relating to being with others and including social embeddedness as a multi–layered phenomenon connected to experiences of loneliness - it is here where the literature falls short in clarifying the findings within our context. Suggestions are made for future research, and some of the limitations of the study are pointed out. To conclude: Loneliness is a multi–dimensional phenomenon that older Batswana people experience on many levels of engagement with and disengagement from the self and others. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Ageing in Africa and the world over is a phenomenon that affects individuals and societies. The expanding older population (people aged 60+) in South Africa led to this research, which represents an attempt to explore the experiences of loneliness of older persons in Africa and thereby gain some understanding of the subjective experiences of loneliness of a group of older African persons in their socio–cultural context. Defining loneliness from the existing literature was challenging since it became evident that loneliness in the literature is defined and researched largely in terms of individual meanings attached to the concept, and the applicability of such individual meanings to an African context remains unconfirmed. Experiences of loneliness are not well known among older Setwana–speaking persons, and few studies have focused on collectivistic experiences as such. Loneliness is considered a complex, contextual experience that goes beyond the individual and also includes culture as an inseparable aspect of people’s lives. Conceptualising loneliness as a socially constructed phenomenon places this study within the paradigm of phenomenology exploring people’s experiences. The philosophy of ubuntu relates to being in the world among others thus creating the concept of a social self. In essence, to be a self, one has to belong to a community, and one is always contextualised as an existence among others in interaction. A qualitative design was used together with a purposive convenience sampling method whereby the participants were selected on the basis of their availability during the research period. The participants’ ages ranged from 61 up to 73, and the sample included 16 female and two male participants. Two data sets were collected at different times from members of the Day Care Centre for the Aged in Ikageng, Potchefstroom, South Africa, as well as community residents who did not attend the centre. Various qualitative techniques were used to collect the data including the Mmogo–methodTM, in–depth individual interviews and focus groups. Multiple methods were employed for analysing the data including phenomenological analysis, key–words–in–context and analysis strategies as stipulated by the Mmogo–methodTM. The rigour of the data was enhanced through the use of diverse qualitative data–gathering methods as well as an array of qualitative analysis methods in a process known as crystallisation. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the North–West University, Potchefstroom Campus, under a larger project, “An exploration of enabling contexts (05K14)”. The researchers constructed two main themes from the findings: descriptions of loneliness and coping with loneliness. Loneliness related to the self and to others, and coping with loneliness involved actively engaging with the environment, being with others and using coping strategies. Some of the findings are linked to the existing literature, and some are unique relating to being with others and including social embeddedness as a multi–layered phenomenon connected to experiences of loneliness - it is here where the literature falls short in clarifying the findings within our context. Suggestions are made for future research, and some of the limitations of the study are pointed out. To conclude: Loneliness is a multi–dimensional phenomenon that older Batswana people experience on many levels of engagement with and disengagement from the self and others. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The state of moral decline has recently come under scrutiny in South Africa and abroad. Moral development is nurtured and developed by moral teaching. South Africa has put in place various avenues for moral education in order to curb moral degeneration. However, due to the continuing social ills that are experienced in the country further avenues of moral education ought to be explored. Due to the multicultural nature of the South African population, moral considerations should consider the strengths that cultural diversity in moral education can contribute toward a moral society. Moral teachings have been explored through education and religious chastity; however, the indigenous knowledge systems of South Africans have not been tapped in this regard. This is partly because the scientific world has not seen it fit to accommodate these knowledges in the knowledge production sphere. The study employed a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore the role of traditional teachings in Batswana female initiation schools and how the traditional teachings contribute to morality and the construction of womanhood. A decolonial epistemic perspective, the African epistemology and social constructionism were used as concepts that formed a framework to allow the critiquing of main stream theories and to allow a grounded theory to emerge from a Batswana female initiation context. Unstructured interviews with initiation instructors as primary data sources were conducted. Secondary data sources included initiation songs and dance; conversations with people who are involved in initiation schools, people who are knowledgeable in Setswana culture and the cultural celebration that the researcher attended were used. The textual data was analysed using the Attride Sterling model of thematic networks. Womanhood as a particular identity and female morality as mainly determined by context are the main themes in the study. Womanhood and morality are intertwined within this context that determines womanhood according to acceptable behaviours. An ethic of responsibility was the overarching theme when analyzing how female morality and womanhood is constructed in the context of initiation schools in Taung. / Psychology / M.A. (Research Consultation)

Text in German, summaries in English and German / This dissertation is a missiological research on reports of first and second generation missionaries from the Hermannsburg mission society in Germany. The missionaries worked for their lifetime among the Batswana. An important point in the first chapter is the attempt to clarify the theological foundation for the understandung of inculturation, from which my conception later arose. The second chapter deals with the founders of the Hermannsburg missionary society and describes the spiritual background of the missionaries. The following three chapters cover the work of the missionaries, in each case father and son at Dinokana, Bethanie and Phokeng chronologically from 1857 - 1940. Special attention is given to their socio-cultural expierences and traditional-religious knowledge. The last chapter evaluates the work of the missionaries and takes into account the present missiological debate on mission. Here again it becomes clear what I mean by Inculturation. / Die vorliegende Arbeit ist eine missionsgeschichtliche und -theologische Untersuchung uber die ersten beiden Generationen Hermannsburger Missionare unter den Batswana in Transvaal. Im ersten Kapitel stelle ich verschiedene Konzepte zum Verstandnis von lnkulturation vor, aus denen ich Anstosse fur meine eigene Konzeption gewonnen habe. Das zweite Kapitel beschreibt die spirituelle Herkunft der Missionare und ihre theologische Pragung. In den folgenden drei Kapiteln untersuche ich die Arbeit der Missionare, jeweils Vater und Sohn, auf ihren Stationen Dinokana, Bethanie und Phokeng von 1857 - 1940 in chronologischer Reihenfolge. Ein besonderer Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf den sozio-kulturellen Erfahrungen und traditionell-religiosen Erkenntnissen dieser Missionare. Das letzte Kapitel enthalt eine Bewertung der Missionsarbeit und beleuchtet sie auf den Hintergrund der gegenwartigen missionstheologischen Diskussion. Besonder in diesem Kapitel wird noch einmal deutlich wie ich Inkulturation verstanden habe. / Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

Text in German, summaries in English and German / This dissertation is a missiological research on reports of first and second generation missionaries from the Hermannsburg mission society in Germany. The missionaries worked for their lifetime among the Batswana. An important point in the first chapter is the attempt to clarify the theological foundation for the understandung of inculturation, from which my conception later arose. The second chapter deals with the founders of the Hermannsburg missionary society and describes the spiritual background of the missionaries. The following three chapters cover the work of the missionaries, in each case father and son at Dinokana, Bethanie and Phokeng chronologically from 1857 - 1940. Special attention is given to their socio-cultural expierences and traditional-religious knowledge. The last chapter evaluates the work of the missionaries and takes into account the present missiological debate on mission. Here again it becomes clear what I mean by Inculturation. / Die vorliegende Arbeit ist eine missionsgeschichtliche und -theologische Untersuchung uber die ersten beiden Generationen Hermannsburger Missionare unter den Batswana in Transvaal. Im ersten Kapitel stelle ich verschiedene Konzepte zum Verstandnis von lnkulturation vor, aus denen ich Anstosse fur meine eigene Konzeption gewonnen habe. Das zweite Kapitel beschreibt die spirituelle Herkunft der Missionare und ihre theologische Pragung. In den folgenden drei Kapiteln untersuche ich die Arbeit der Missionare, jeweils Vater und Sohn, auf ihren Stationen Dinokana, Bethanie und Phokeng von 1857 - 1940 in chronologischer Reihenfolge. Ein besonderer Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf den sozio-kulturellen Erfahrungen und traditionell-religiosen Erkenntnissen dieser Missionare. Das letzte Kapitel enthalt eine Bewertung der Missionsarbeit und beleuchtet sie auf den Hintergrund der gegenwartigen missionstheologischen Diskussion. Besonder in diesem Kapitel wird noch einmal deutlich wie ich Inkulturation verstanden habe. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

The thesis is about the relationship between State and Church, taking note of alternative relations which existed over the ages. The government of Bophuthatswana declared their state to be Christian. The main emphasis was that the Batswana were religious people who were deeply Christian and thus the state was to become Christian as well. This was not separated from the issue of land which also was seen as a gift from God for them. Winterveld was used as a case study to show how the state was justifying its own actions to discriminate against non-Batswana from obtaining citizenship and denying them access to land. The transition period showed that the church stood on the other side of the fence when it supported changes that were sweeping South Africa and calling for the end of states such as Bophuthatswana. This saw the new secular state of South Africa coming into existence. / Theology & Religion / D. Th. (Church History)

This research was executed as three separate studies. Study 1 focused on the perception of pain and the semantic aspects of pain. Study 2 focused on the measurement of acute pain and mood states. Study 3 focused on the psychological treatment of cancer pain. In Study 1 a group of 66 Setswana-speaking adults were required to describe what they saw, what happened, and what would be the outcome with respect to three visually presented pain scenes using The Pain Apperception Test (PAT) A qualitative analysis of their responses shows that pain is experienced as an all encompassing experience affecting all aspects of their lives, such as the physical, emotional, social, and economic. This was found to be true, irrespective of gender and age with the exception of economic issues. A qualitative analysis of their responses to the Pain Eliciting Incidents Questionnaire (PEIQ) reveals that the Setswana pain descriptors are classifiable according to the three dimensions of pain namely, the sensory-discriminative, affective-motivational, and cognitive-evaluative. Sludy 2 applied the Profile of Mood States (POMS) preoperatively to a group of 58 female laparotomy (gynaecological) patients. These patients were also tested post-operatively with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire (WBPQ) as pain measures. The pain measures were taken at no medication and at the peak of medication. Factor analysis could not confirm the validity of the six POMS scales. These scales also did not show correlations with post-operative pain. Correlations between the pain measures showed acceptable reliability and validity of the VAS and the WBPQ. In Study 3 three groups of 15 cancer patients each, suffering from chronic pain, were treated over a period of two weeks with either cognitive behavioural therapy plus medication, reassurance therapy plus medication, or medication only. Comparison of before and after treatment pain measures showed that both cognitive behavioural therapy and reassurance therapy had a beneficial effect. Follow-up results three months later showed that the beneficial effect of reassurance therapy did not persist. Patients treated with cognitive behavioral therapy still showed the beneficial effects thereof. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

The thesis is about the relationship between State and Church, taking note of alternative relations which existed over the ages. The government of Bophuthatswana declared their state to be Christian. The main emphasis was that the Batswana were religious people who were deeply Christian and thus the state was to become Christian as well. This was not separated from the issue of land which also was seen as a gift from God for them. Winterveld was used as a case study to show how the state was justifying its own actions to discriminate against non-Batswana from obtaining citizenship and denying them access to land. The transition period showed that the church stood on the other side of the fence when it supported changes that were sweeping South Africa and calling for the end of states such as Bophuthatswana. This saw the new secular state of South Africa coming into existence. / Theology and Religion / D. Th. (Church History)