The aim of the study was to explore the constructions and meanings around madness/mental illness among a group of young professionals in order to broaden the dialogue around mental illness to include the voices of a certain section of the community. The current dialogue around mental illness is dominated by the view that madness/mental illness is the domain of scientifically trained professionals. The aim of the study was to explore the constructions of those not part of a mental health profession and those not suffering from mental illness and how these constructions may influence their behaviour towards those suffering from mental illness. The epistemological framework of the study falls into a social constructionist perspective. This epistemological approach allows for the exploration of previously taken for granted truths. When adhering to this approach the function of research is to explore a particular version of reality in an embedded context and language seen as the structuring aspect of social reality. From this approach a discourse analysis was done using the transcripts of audiotaped interviews with the participants. The four participants chosen for the study fell into the 23-26 years age group brackets, had finished tertiary education and have started working on a professional career. None of the participants have had any formal contact with mental health services or professionals or those suffering from mental illness. In the process of analysing the texts five discourses were identified and discussed. The first of these discourses was the scientific discourse around mental illness in which madness is constructed mostly as an illness with genetic, chemical or emotional causes. The knowledge and expertise of mental health professionals is seen as important to the general public as they seem to have little knowledge on the meaning of mental illness themselves. The second discourse that was identified was mental illness as the domain of professionals and mental institutions. Most of the respondents seemed comfortable with this idea and used distancing strategies in order to explain their non-involvement in the care of the mentally ill. Mental illness as individual experience was discussed next and in this discourse mental illness was seen as an exclusive experience to which few except the sufferer has access. The fourth discourse discussed was the mental illness as unknown discourse. In this discourse madness/mental illness, those suffering from it and the treatment thereof, is a mystery to those who are not part of these experiences. The final discourse discussed was the mental illness as bad discourse where those suffering from mental illness were constructed as dangerous, possibly violent, unpredictable and damaging. During the analysis of the data it was found that the majority of the respondents used techniques to distance themselves from involvement of the mentally ill and ascribed to the discourse that madness/mental illness is the domain of mental health professionals only. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

Orientadores: Rúbia Barcelos Amaral, Samuel Rocha de Oliveira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T08:49:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Barros_AnaPaulaRodriguesMagalhaesde_M.pdf: 4098692 bytes, checksum: 97ae7bead4cb3866a2fc0a36eaf2fdd3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Atualmente a internet tem se tornado cada vez mais atrativa aos nossos alunos, dentro e fora do ambiente escolar. O número de recursos digitais para o ensino da Matemática vem crescendo. Nesse sentido, ambientes de aprendizagem compostos por software e vídeos, online, podem ser materiais potenciais para o ensino. No entanto, é importante conhecermos tais potencialidades para o processo de aprendizagem dos alunos. Pesquisas apontam dificuldades para o ensino e a aprendizagem do conteúdo de Geometria Espacial e também identificam características fundamentais de software de Geometria Dinâmica para o estudo desse conteúdo. Nessa pesquisa, cuja abordagem foi qualitativa, um ambiente denominado micromundo composto por applets do software GeoGebra e vídeos da coleção M³ foi constituído sob lentes da teoria do Construcionismo e da Teoria Cognitiva de Aprendizagem Multimídia (TCAM) e aplicado em uma escola pública estadual localizada na cidade de Sumaré ¿ SP. Quatro duplas de estudantes do 2º ano do Ensino Médio participaram e foram observadas isoladamente. A investigação aconteceu em torno das contribuições desse micromundo em um estudo de volume de pirâmides. A pergunta que embasou a investigação foi: Como um micromundo composto por recursos do GeoGebra e da coleção M³ pode contribuir no processo de aprendizagem do aluno em um estudo sobre volume de pirâmides? Nessa direção, o objetivo foi analisar as condições criadas pelo micromundo nesse processo mediado por uma professora. Para tanto, observei a interação das duplas no micromundo e investiguei as contribuições das características sustentadas pelo Construcionismo e pela TCAM presentes nele. As dimensões construcionistas corroboraram o engajamento e interesse dos alunos em realizar as tarefas. A organização dos recursos em um ambiente on-line estimulou o interesse dos alunos. Os princípios da TCAM presentes nas multimídias aprimoraram, sobretudo, a ação reflexão dos alunos durante a realização das atividades, O micromundo proporcionou aos alunos a busca de conexões entre as multimídias e, assim, eles tomaram diferentes percursos enquanto buscavam compreender o conteúdo de volume de uma pirâmide. As características de um ambiente exploratório e interativo colaboraram para que os alunos pudessem visualizar e interpretar as figuras geométricas espaciais sob vários ângulos. O micromundo contribuiu para que as ações construcionistas ocorressem a partir da interação dos alunos, fomentando a construção do conhecimento nesse processo. Desta forma, foi possível observar indícios de aprendizagem / Abstract: Nowadays, the internet is becoming more and more attractive to our students, both inside or outside the school environment. Digital resources are growing for mathematical teaching. In this regard, online learning environments composed by software and video can be useful materials. However, it is important to know some potentialities for the students¿ learning. Researches address some difficulties for teaching and learning Euclidean Geometry and they also appoint some fundamental characteristics of one Interactive Geometry software in order to this use. In this qualitative research, an environment called microworld which is composed by applets, a software called GeoGebra and videos of M³ collection was built under the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) and it was used in a state public school located in Sumaré-SP. Four couples of second year high students participated in this research and they were observed separately. The investigation occurred around the contributions of this microworld in a study about the volume of a pyramid. The research question was: How a microworld composed by GeoGebra and M³ collection can contribute in the teaching and learning process of the student in a study about the volume of a pyramid? Thus, the objective was to analyze the conditions created by microworld in this process mediated by a teacher. In order to do that, I observed the interaction of the couples in the microworld and I investigated the contributions of the characteristics appointed by the Constructionist theory and TCMA that I could find. The constructionists dimensions confirm the engagement and interest of the students to do the tasks. The resources¿ organization in an online environment stimulated the students. TCAM¿s principles presented by the multimedia improved, above all, the student¿s reflection while they were doing the activities. Microworld provided to the students the opportunity to search for connections between the multimedia and, thereby, they could take different paths while they tried to comprehend the content of the volume of a pyramid. The characteristics of an exploratory and interactive environment collaborate to the visualization and interpretation of the Euclidean geometric illustrations under various lenses. Microworld contributed to the constructionist interactions as they could be made through the students, instigating knowledge construction in this process. Thus, it could be observed some learning signs / Mestrado / Ensino de Ciencias e Matematica / Mestra em Multiunidades em Ensino de Ciências e Matemática

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / The importance of the role of fathers in the lives of their children and families has received much attention in recent years. This new focus on responsible fatherhood has led to an increase of programme interventions for responsible fathers. The aim of this study was to explore how families experienced an intervention programme for fathers, and how the intervention contributed to child and family well-being. The study made use of a qualitative research methodology. The research sample included fathers, who participated in the intervention programme, as well as their life partners and children. The sample for the study included 10 fathers, 10 spouses, as well as 10 children of the fathers, who participated in an intervention programme for fathers. The final sample of participants in this study was 30 participants. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect the data in face-to-face interviews. The data analysis was conducted by means of a thematic analysis. All ethical considerations were adhered to by ensuring the confidentiality and anonymity of participants. The following themes were found in the study: Understanding of family well-being, Conceptualization of fatherhood and father involvement, Communication about the programme, Parent-child relationships, Parental involvement and personal matters, Discipline and conflict management, Experience of programme intervention the father attended. The results of the study showed that (1) the intervention contributed to the well-being of children and their families; (2) the involvement of fathers in the lives of their children increased post-intervention; (3) fathers' communication skills improved; (4) fathers were more involved in unpaid care; (5) spousal relationships improved with less conflict in their relationships.

Honour culture is a constructed social problem and can be defined on the basis of several different ideas. The phenomenon of honour culture is complex and multidimensional and from a constructivist perspective, the concept of honour culture leads up to unwarranted fears and stigmatization of people living with honour norms. This qualitative study shows how several young boys and girls live with a culture of honour without feeling oppressed or limited. The purpose was to use the survey to shed light on how young people think about their opportunities in life in a context of honour. Although they expressed several rules that entailed limits and prohibitions, they meant that it was not something they perceived as problematic. There are extensive studies about violence, oppression and murder that are linked to the honour context. It shows that the strong family bond that characterizes the honour culture is based on the fears that young people have of their parents. They fear the consequences of breaking the norms of honour but also for disappointing their parents. Based on this study, it appears that young people have good opportunities to shape their own lives, but the respondents accentuate that the parents and the relationship with them are both important and meaningful. The parents’ desire and will for how they should live their lives weighed just as heavily as their own will, and so they were willing to compromise in order to please the parents. The reason, according to the respondents, was the high level of trust they had in their parents.

This qualitative study aimed to explore the constructions of childhood depression as portrayed in South African women's interest magazines. Departing from a postmodern paradigm and utilising a social constructionist framework, these magazines were regarded as part of larger mass media discourses on childhood depression. The magazines contribute to the construction of 'truths' about childhood depression in its audience. To explore the research question, three of the highest circulating magazines in South Africa containing texts related to childhood depression were identified. The magazines were aimed not only at women, but at both English- and Afrikaans-speaking women, and at African, Caucasian, and possibly Coloured women. The hardcopies of these magazines were sourced from the publisher for a period of approximately two years each. A total of 20 articles that spoke to childhood depression were identified in these magazines. Two forms of analysis were used in a mutually enriching and recursive manner. The contextual analysis allowed an enriched insight into the context of the articles. The thematic analysis gave way to themes and subthemes to emerge. It was found that although perceptions in these articles were most often in line with professional psychological knowledge, at times it failed to speak to uniquely South African concerns regarding childhood depression, and often reified problematic discourses. It was concluded that mass media may be a powerful tool to employ by government organisations, health professionals, and social scientists, to address problematic mental health discourses in South Africa. / Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

The research explores the themes of corporate chaplaincy, workplace spirituality and employee wellness, and their relationship to each other. The question is asked if the corporate chaplain has a contribution to make through the multi-disciplinary helping team in achieving and maintaining employee wellness. The method of study is postfoundational and relies upon three stages of research: an acknowledgement of the local context through the dialogue with twelve co-researchers; a process of transversality that includes a discussion with nine interdisciplinary respondents and traditions of interpretation; and a response that explores a preferred alternative reality for, and beyond, the local context. The stage of acknowledgement reveals several emerging themes that highlight the value of a workplace spirituality in employee wellness, but in which spirituality is an identified gap in wellness progs. The discussion explores the value of spirituality in wellness and the obstacles in the development of workplace spirituality and the employ of corporate chaplains. The response requires a revisiting the title of "corporate chaplaincy" noting the unhelpful assumptions that the title makes. The response includes a definition of workplace spirituality that communicates the value of a workplace spirituality and the workplace spiritual helper to help overcome the obstacles of religious plurality, secularism, and an unhelpful religiosity. The response of affirming spirituality in achieving and maintaining wellness for the employee and the corporate through the corporate chaplain requires the establishment of a registered professional body. In recognising the present difficulty in appointing corporate chaplains, alternative forms of developing workplace spirituality are suggested. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Practical Theology / PhD / Unrestricted

A new constitution in South Africa necessitated a change in policing practices from an abusive, para-military style to a community-based structure. Such changes had its challenges, which were partially addressed through new policies that affected all police officials. White, male police officers in middle-management, who were once central in the police, were increasingly being sidelined. This research describes the experiences of three police officers in the Kwazulu-Natal midlands. It was conducted using a narrative approach, working within a social constructionist and a postfoundationalist paradigm. This meant that their stories were listened to within the wider context described through media reports. The discourses shaping their ideas were explored and compared to the experiences of police members of other races. Comments from other police officers were brought into the conversation alongside the insights of other disciplines and research done by others, including criminology, business, politics, social sciences and theology. The participants wrestled with how faith in God could assist them in dealing with the challenges they were faced with. This journey also contributes to a wider audience beyond our local context. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The field of interest in this study focuses on exploring a life skills course in which drama was used, and how first year drama students at Tshwane University of Technology constructed their experience of this, as well as what informed their experience. This research was conducted within the framework of social constructionism, which allows the space for the co-construction of knowledge and meanings. The research questions for this project are thus, how did the first year drama students construct their experience of the life skills course where drama was used as a medium? What informed their experiences? Written accounts were made use of as a form of data collection. Themes were identified in their texts and this was then taken back to the participants to check the meaning generated in the analysis. The findings are relevant to those who deal with life skills in higher education. The aim of the research study was not to find a final answer for the questions posed but rather to provide an interpretation, or analysis, of the constructions contained in the texts. It has provided an alternative body of co-created, co-constructed knowledge. Copyright / Mini Dissertation (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Psychology / Unrestricted

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In the realm of BDSM there are a few different roles. There is a dominant, which is a person who controls a BDSM scene. There is a submissive, which is a person who gives up control to the dominant during a scene. In a BDSM scene, there must always be a person who is playing the role of a dominant and a person who is in the role of the submissive. This study looks at two different identities associated with the dominate role, lifestyle and professional. This study aims to compare and contrast the two identities on their backgrounds, how they identify themselves, and their views on tribute. Tribute is receiving either gifts or money in exchange for BDSM services. Two theories, social constructionism and exchange theory, were used to create the interview questions for this survey. For this study I interviewed four lifestyle dominatrices and three professional dominatrices. Data from six blogs, three lifestyle dominatrices’ blogs and three professional dominatrices’ blogs, were used as well. My findings suggest that in discovery of, and in BDSM play, the dominatrices are similar and that the defining difference between lifestyles and professionals is the acceptance of money. My findings also conflict a little with Viviana Zelizer’s theory that the receiver of a gift is necessarily submissive to the giver.

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