ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative multiple site case study was to explore Hutterite colony teacher/principals’ understandings related to their teaching and principal roles in a cross-cultural context. A constructivist epistemology framed an examination of issues and experiences of teacher/principals, drawing out patterns and trends regarding influences on their cultural understandings, focusing attention on their interactions with students and colony members, and illuminating their attitudes towards their previous and emergent work environment. The study investigated four teacher/principals’ understandings of how their cultural identity impacted their work, the understandings of the teacher/principals regarding similarities and differences between their culture and Hutterite colony culture, and their utilization of their knowledge of Hutterite culture to maintain positive student relations. Four Hutterite colony schools comprised the research sites. The teacher/principals, two females and two males, shared 28 years of colony school experience. This multiple site case study utilized qualitative techniques: data were gathered from four teacher/principals through pre-interviews, semi-structured interviews, on-site observations, and the examination of administrative processes. From the data, sense-making capacity, order-making ability, and intuition, also referred to as recognition-producing capability, four broad themes emerged: (a) the idiosyncratic effects of personality and cross-cultural connections, (b) the catalytic effect of similarities and differences, (c) the emphasis on the primacy of teaching, and (d) the tension between the roles of teacher/principal and principal/teacher. The study’s findings add to the existing theory and research on being a teacher and a principal in a cross-cultural context, specifically a monocultural setting. Policy makers, educational leaders, principals, and teachers may well reflect on the roles of life experience, personal origin and interests, belief system, educational and administrative skills, world view, temperament, and personal and professional commitment when considering school appointments. The study increases the understanding of the role and the effects of a non-Hutterite teacher and principal on Hutterite students. Ideas for further research generated from this study include a multiple site case study of Hutterite teachers, a qualitative analysis between non-Hutterite teachers and Hutterite teachers, and a mixed methods study in a colony-rich region. Within the professional domain, understanding how pre-service teachers and working teachers are prepared for teaching in diverse classrooms would be beneficial. What is being done, and what could be done, in the preparation and delivery of professional development for presently serving colony teachers are questions meriting further consideration.

Minga, Katunga Joseph (0301525P) mingajose@yahoo.com MA translation 2005 School of Literature and language studies Dr Inggs, J jinggs@languages.wits.ac.za / The research presented here analyses translations of Ngugi wa Tshiong’o’s children’s books from the point of view of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), as outlined by Norman Fairclough (1989, 1992). The research investigates whether an approach taking into consideration ideological issues in translation is most appropriate in translating Ngugi’s children books for a francophone child reader by giving them access to Gĩkữyữ culture. To achieve this objective, the French translations of selected ideologically embedded extracts of Ngugi’s children books (Njamba Nene and the Flying Bus and Jamba Nene’s Pistol) are compared. The translations were carried out in different socio-cultural contexts by translators of different origins (France and Cameroon). The results of this research show that the translated texts read differently from one translator to another. This suggests that certain ideological and other social factors influence translators, resulting in differing translation products. In this way, translation cannot be considered as a one-to-one transfer between languages. Nor can translation theory draw on one linguistic theory alone, however complex it may be. What is needed is “a theory of culture to explain the specificity of communicative situations and the relationship between verbalised and non-verbalised situational elements” (Nord, 1997:11).

Trauma recovery and post trauma growth are two desirable outcomes of a traumatic event. Meaning-making and narrative development are two processes that support both trauma recovery and post trauma growth. The way in which we make meaning or develop stories about the events in our lives however, are governed by socio-cultural contexts. Social constructivism emphasizes that the way in which individuals think, feel, and act are engrained in her being early on by the social and cultural networks that surround her. Therefore, even though an individual may think that she is generating a thought or making a choice, these processes have already been influenced by socio-cultural contexts long before she learned how to speak or formulate a worldview. This study aimed to examine the lived experiences of women who have been through intimate partner violence, tracing their journey towards trauma recovery and post trauma growth, and trying to find how and the extent to which their journeys were affected by socio-cultural contexts. This study takes a social constructivist lens that emphasizes the effects of our socio-cultural environment on individual meaning-making, narrative development, and decision making post trauma. The results of the study indicate that socio-cultural contexts play a significant role in individual responses to trauma like intimate partner violence, and there are socio-cultural components that can facilitate trauma recovery and post trauma growth. / Doctor of Philosophy / When human beings experience adverse events in life, they can develop a traumatic response to the event. Traumatic response however, is just one possibility. Sometimes individuals who have been through events that have led to a trauma response can also experience resilience, recovery, and even growth. The way in which human beings respond is not only in their power but is also influenced by their environment. Socio-cultural contexts that surround us influence the way in which we make meaning of life events and develop stories or narratives regarding those events. This purpose of this study was to find whether socio-cultural contexts affected women who had experienced intimate partner violence in their meaning-making and narrative development, and how these influences played out in their decision making process post trauma. The study intended to find to what extent trauma recovery and post trauma growth could be influenced by socio-cultural contexts. Additionally, the study wanted to explore how professional counselors may contribute to survivor’s journeys. The results indicate that socio-cultural contexts deeply influence the process of meaning-making and narrative development, thereby affecting trauma recovery and post trauma growth. Additionally, results indicate that professional counselors can play an essential role in facilitating processes that lead to recovery and growth post trauma.

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The theory of shattered assumptions proposes that experiencing traumatic events can change how people view themselves and the world. Most adults experience a traumatic event during their lifetime, and some subsequently develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the current conceptualization of trauma (i.e., Criterion A PTSD) may be too narrow to adequately capture the range of potentially traumatizing events that People of Color experience, including racial discrimination and neighborhood disadvantage. This study investigated the association of racial discrimination and neighborhood disadvantage with core beliefs about the world being safe and predictable (i.e., world assumptions) among a sample of Black, Latine, and Asian young adults. Multi-step analyses of covariance tested associations between racial discrimination and neighborhood disadvantage with world assumptions and whether these held in the context of other traumatic exposures. Results indicated that racial discrimination negatively impacted world assumptions among Asian young adults only and this effect remained in the context of trauma. In addition, low neighborhood support negatively impacted world assumptions across all racial groups and neighborhood violence negatively impacted world assumptions among Latine young adults only; however, this effect did not remain in the context of trauma. This study indicates it is worthwhile to consider other adverse events in the conceptualization of trauma, such as racial discrimination and neighborhood disadvantage, that may impact world assumptions and contribute to subsequent post-trauma psychopathology.

In hierdie verhandeling reflekteer ek oor my godsdiensdiskoers en die invloed daarvan op my lewe, beide as persoon en as terapeut. My werk vind 'n nis in die wyse waarop dit die 'stil, onsigbare mensa' benader wie se stories gevorm is deur diskoerse van die modemistiese samelewing. In my navorsing kry ek te doen met problema wat in die algemeen met die praktyke van marginalisering geassosieer word. Die narratiewe gesprekvoering met 'medeskrywers' aan my storie en interaksie met hulle verskillende horisonne kristalliseer in 'n bevrydende en veelvlakkige insig. Hierdie kennis stel my in staat om nuwe keuses te maak en 'n alternatiewe storie vir myself te formuleer. Die studie illustreer dus nie net hoe narratiewe terapie die 'stil, onsigbare' produkte van 'n paternalistiese samelewing kan bemagtig nie. Dit wys ook op die waarde van die oopstelling van die terapeut se eie verhaal vir sy/haar vorming as terapeut. / In this dissertation I reflect on my religious discourse, its influence on my life and how it affects me, both as a person and a therapist. It addresses a niche in its approach to the 'silent, invisible people' whose stories are authored by the discourses of a modernistic society. My research stumbles on all kinds of problems that are generally associated with the practices of marginalisation. Acting as both client and therapist, I enter into numerous interactive conversational sessions with 'co-authors' of my story, afJ with different contexts and horizons. This process crystallises in a liberating and multi-faceted truth. The newly gained knowledge enables me to make new choices and formulate tor myself an alternative story. This study illustrates not only how narrative practices may empower the 'silent, invisible' products of a patemalistic society. It also shows how therapists may benefit from the deconstruction of their own story in both a personal and professional way. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Pastoral Theology)

In hierdie verhandeling reflekteer ek oor my godsdiensdiskoers en die invloed daarvan op my lewe, beide as persoon en as terapeut. My werk vind 'n nis in die wyse waarop dit die 'stil, onsigbare mensa' benader wie se stories gevorm is deur diskoerse van die modemistiese samelewing. In my navorsing kry ek te doen met problema wat in die algemeen met die praktyke van marginalisering geassosieer word. Die narratiewe gesprekvoering met 'medeskrywers' aan my storie en interaksie met hulle verskillende horisonne kristalliseer in 'n bevrydende en veelvlakkige insig. Hierdie kennis stel my in staat om nuwe keuses te maak en 'n alternatiewe storie vir myself te formuleer. Die studie illustreer dus nie net hoe narratiewe terapie die 'stil, onsigbare' produkte van 'n paternalistiese samelewing kan bemagtig nie. Dit wys ook op die waarde van die oopstelling van die terapeut se eie verhaal vir sy/haar vorming as terapeut. / In this dissertation I reflect on my religious discourse, its influence on my life and how it affects me, both as a person and a therapist. It addresses a niche in its approach to the 'silent, invisible people' whose stories are authored by the discourses of a modernistic society. My research stumbles on all kinds of problems that are generally associated with the practices of marginalisation. Acting as both client and therapist, I enter into numerous interactive conversational sessions with 'co-authors' of my story, afJ with different contexts and horizons. This process crystallises in a liberating and multi-faceted truth. The newly gained knowledge enables me to make new choices and formulate tor myself an alternative story. This study illustrates not only how narrative practices may empower the 'silent, invisible' products of a patemalistic society. It also shows how therapists may benefit from the deconstruction of their own story in both a personal and professional way. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Pastoral Theology)

This thesis explores the role of interaction design in elevating the solitary experiences of music listening by infusing them with the joy and connection typically found in the communal music setting of parties. Drawing upon historical and cultural contexts, the research investigates how music acts as a medium for social interaction and emotional expression, from its political implications in Berlin's techno scene to its power to unite people in clubs and concerts. The project began with a focus on enhancing DJ-audience interactions and evolved into exploring how these dynamic communal experiences could inform the design of solitary listening experiences on digital platforms like Spotify. The research employs a mixed methodology combining auto-ethnography, in-depth interviews, and testing to develop and refine six interfaces that embody the joy of communal music experiences. These interfaces aim to recreate the sense of togetherness and emotional engagement often lost in solitary music consumption. The findings highlight that joy is a deeply personal and context-dependent phenomenon, influenced by the nuances of social interactions and individual emotional states. This insight guides the design of interfaces that adapt to and enhance the listener's emotional landscape. The project contributes to interaction design by challenging conventional design approaches that prioritise functionality over emotional resonance, aiming to serve as inspiration for designs that value emotions as central to the interaction experience. It also proposes future research directions focusing on the ethical implications of emotionally driven design and the potential for these interfaces to foster deeper connections in an increasingly digital world.