A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2015 / The family is a child‟s primary context for socialisation and may greatly affects a child‟s well-being negatively or positively. The family context might affect the child‟s entire life and also interferes with learning. Historically, families have been changing for ages due to social and economic factors, thus resulting in various family structures worldwide. It appears that a stable family structure is most conducive to a child‟s academic success whereas unstable family structure predicts academic problems. This situation seems to be a major obstacle to the quality of education. Thus, it was imperative for the researcher to undertake this study. The researcher reviewed different theories on how family structures may contribute to school-based problems. Over and above that, current study is underpinned by three theories, namely behaviouralism, system theory and Bandura‟s social learning theories. The objectives of the study were to ascertain the extent to which a relationship exists between selected family structures and school-based problems; to determine whether there was any association between school-based problems and the variables such as learners‟ age, learners‟ gender and learners‟ educational level, and to establish educators‟ recommendations so as to develop an intervention model. The mixed approach design was employed. A cluster sampling technique was used to randomly select 165 participants in six districts of KwaZulu-Natal province. The educators were requested to rate learners. A biographical questionnaire, the “Student Behaviour Survey” (SBS) and an open-ended questionnaire were used to collect data. The data were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. This implies that the SBS manual, thematic approach, Person Chi squire and Log-Linear analysis techniques were utilized to analyse data. A computer package known as Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) was also employed. The findings of the present study revealed that learners from KwaZulu-Natal schools experienced various problems due to the influence of their family background or family structures and learners‟ characteristics such as age, gender and educational level. The study also revealed that family structure was influential on the following problems: academic habits, interpersonal relations and emotional distress. Learners‟ age was found to be associated to conduct problems, interpersonal relations, social withdrawal, emotional distress, as well as physical aggression. Gender was found to have an impact on learners‟ health and social interactions. The study focused on nuclear, extended, single parent, child-headed, grand parenting, polygamous and divorced families. Finally, the model of intervention was developed. This model also aimed at introducing a school-based approach that will empower both parents and teachers to handle and prevent school-based or psychological problems among learners in different grades. These problems were found in a sample which was constituted of predominately African learners. The present study also reflected that there is a need of contributions from different specialists, including parents. Educational psychologist and other mental health professions should assist educators to implement the developed model and also play their role in changing and minimising the various problems faced by learners in KwaZulu-Natal schools, more especially in rural areas. The Department of Education should support all stakeholders with the resources needed to implement the proposed intervention model to improve the entire physical environment of the school, as well the infrastructure.

The main objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of health care, and social services professionals on the psychosocial impact of African rural families. The research questions addressed were, the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural families, the impact on affected others, how HIV/AIDS has changed definition of rural families’ structures and the coping strategies adopted by these families in coping with the psychosocial impact of HIV/AIDS. The data were collected from six participants namely; 4 health care and 2 social services professionals who had an experience of 8 years dealing directly with families affected by the epidemic. This was an exploratory study and the measure used was semi-structured interview using open-ended questions to allow participants to reflect on their experiences as well as allowing the researcher to explore any areas that seemed necessary. The main results of the study revealed that there is a relationship between poverty and HIV/AIDS. The study also revealed the detrimental effect of HIV/AIDS on women and children as well as how cultural beliefs might at times be an obstacle for the intervention programmes to be effective. The findings have implications for the health care and social services professionals dealing with affected families that more psychosocial support is needed. Recommendations for further research on more studies related to the results as well as implementations of intervention programmes were indicated.

No

The integration policy in Sweden shall encourage individuals to support themselves and take part in society. It shall alsocontribute to equal rights and opportunities for women as well as for men. In Borlänge this has resulted in a program ofintroduction for new arrivals from other countries. However, at the unit responsible for economic support, they havediscovered that women with immigrant background more often than men seem to have trouble starting or became to anending of the program, which then especially leads women to a long-term dependence for economic support. The purpose of this study has therefore been to investigate what factors affect immigrant women’s participation in theintroduction, and what significance this participation has for their possibilities to become economically self-supporting,and integrated into Swedish society. Previous research shows that some of the obstacles for the integration of immigrant women can be that they give birthto many children, are unskilled or have a low degree of education and that they tend to be living under patriarchalgender patterns. Another problem seem to be that some women are not even known as members of the municipalities.All of these problems are as well what was shown in my own study. I have used theoretical perspectives from Bourdieu, Elias & Scotson, Giddens, Roman and al-Baldawi in my analysis.Bourdieu have interesting thoughts about capital, habitus and field, which can help us to understand how individuals arebeing shaped and are given different opportunities to act in a special way or direction. Elias & Scotson describesthrough their study around established and outsiders how the process of integration can take place and what effects thatcan be shown for the opportunities to succeed in that part. Giddens, Roman and al-Baldawi then give us different waysto look at the patriarchy and family structures around the world. The result of this study shows that the willingness to integrate and be able to take care of your own support for living isan important part for the women for succeeding. For the other women, that don’t succeed, it turns out to be just like theprevious research has been shown. Gender patterns, many children and a low or no education skill all seems to be partof the issue. It is also suggested that the generosity of the Swedish welfare system might hinder rather than help someimmigrant women to become integrated into Swedish society.

Parental socialization values are compared over sixty years by using data from the Denton Parent Project collected in 1989 and from similar questions asked of parents in Middletowri in 1924 and 1978, The objectives of the study were as follows: how have parental socialization values changed through time since the 1920s; has the impact of parental social class status on parental socialization values decreased over time; compare Alwin's study on obedience and autonomy to see how trend has changed from 1978 Middletown to 1989 Denton; and, finally, look at certain family structure variables to determine their influence. Today's parents emphasize social acceptance and a sense of social responsibility in child training practice. Social class still has an impact on parental socialization values but not as great as expected.

This analysis concerns four picture books that in different ways address the topic of children in rainbow families. The purpose of the study is to analyse how rainbow families are portrayed in the picture books by the authors and illustrators. In carrying out the analysis, we assess how the texts and pictures are used to depict the families. We also look at how the books are didactically structured to raise the reader’s awareness of rainbow families. Our hope is that this study will inspire teachers to use picture books when teaching to broaden students’ understanding of different family structures. One result of the analysis is that the formation of a family plays a significant part in these books. We have also observed that the books are didactic in different ways to draw attention to and normalise families with homosexual parents. All four picture books have their depiction of the families in common - they all show the families as happy with parents in stable relationships.

Terapeutiese hulpverlening aan die seksueel gemolesteerde kind binne gesinsverband vanuit 'n Sielkundige Opvoedkundige perspektief is in hierdie studie onderneem. 'n Oorsig oor seksuele kindermolestering binne gesinsverband het getoon dat dit reeds vanaf die vroegste tye voorgekom het en tans kommerwekkende afmetings aanneem in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, sonder dat die opvoedkundige sielkundige as lid van 'n multi-professionele span betrek word by terapeutiese hulpverlening. 'n Beskrywing van seksuele kindermolestering binne gesinsverband het getoon dat seksuele kindermolestering verskeie vorme aanneem en dat die oortreders daarvoor verantwoordelik is dat ouerskap en gesinstrukture ontoereikend verwerklik word. Dit bied aan die opvoedkundige sielkundige die moontlikheid om vanwee sy toeganklikheid en professionele deskundigheid as lid van 'n multiprofessionele span toereikend terapeutiese hulp te verleen aan die seksueel gemolesteerde kind. Terapeutiese hulpverlening aan die seksueel gemolesteerde kind binne gesinsverband is onderneem vanuit 'n Sielkundige Opvoedkundige benadering met relasie terapie as wyse van hulpverlening / This study investigates therapeutic aid to the child who is sexually abused by a family member, from the viewpoint of Psychology of Education. An overview of sexual abuse of children in the family context indicates a long history of occurence and present statistics show an alarming increase in reported cases with educational psychologists seldom being included in a multi-discipl inary thera-peutic team. A description of sexual abuse of children in the family context suggests that this may take different forms and the perpetrators are responsible for the breakdown in parenting and family structures. Educational psychologists are, because of their professional expertise and accessibility, able to offer thera-peutic aid to the sexually abused child as a member of a multi-professional team. Therapeutic aid to the sexually abused child in the family context is undertaken with Relationship Therapy as a medium of aid / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

The aim of this thesis was to examine the association between family structures and adolescents' externalising and internalising problems. This study also explored if adolescents' perceived parental support and teacher support might differ across different type of family structures. It further assessed whether the association between family structures, externalising and internalising problems among adolescents might be attributed to the individual level of parental and teacher support. The data was derived from the Stockholm School Survey carried out by the Stockholm City Administration in 2014. A total of 5,569 students age 15-17 from both public and private schools in the municipalities of Stockholm was included in this study. This study showed that lower perceived parental and teacher support was found among those living in stepparents and single parent families. Results from linear regression also indicated that adolescents from non-nuclear families were at higher risk of developing externalising and internalising problems. As this study found that those associations were attributed to individual level of parental and teacher support, the findings of this thesis bring together the evidence on the need for spesific programs given by the school for prevention and intervention of externalising and internalising problems among adolescents. Moreover, this study also highlights the importance of family policy as an instrument to attain a healthy work-life balance that may enable parents to increase their support towards their children.

Terapeutiese hulpverlening aan die seksueel gemolesteerde kind binne gesinsverband vanuit 'n Sielkundige Opvoedkundige perspektief is in hierdie studie onderneem. 'n Oorsig oor seksuele kindermolestering binne gesinsverband het getoon dat dit reeds vanaf die vroegste tye voorgekom het en tans kommerwekkende afmetings aanneem in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, sonder dat die opvoedkundige sielkundige as lid van 'n multi-professionele span betrek word by terapeutiese hulpverlening. 'n Beskrywing van seksuele kindermolestering binne gesinsverband het getoon dat seksuele kindermolestering verskeie vorme aanneem en dat die oortreders daarvoor verantwoordelik is dat ouerskap en gesinstrukture ontoereikend verwerklik word. Dit bied aan die opvoedkundige sielkundige die moontlikheid om vanwee sy toeganklikheid en professionele deskundigheid as lid van 'n multiprofessionele span toereikend terapeutiese hulp te verleen aan die seksueel gemolesteerde kind. Terapeutiese hulpverlening aan die seksueel gemolesteerde kind binne gesinsverband is onderneem vanuit 'n Sielkundige Opvoedkundige benadering met relasie terapie as wyse van hulpverlening / This study investigates therapeutic aid to the child who is sexually abused by a family member, from the viewpoint of Psychology of Education. An overview of sexual abuse of children in the family context indicates a long history of occurence and present statistics show an alarming increase in reported cases with educational psychologists seldom being included in a multi-discipl inary thera-peutic team. A description of sexual abuse of children in the family context suggests that this may take different forms and the perpetrators are responsible for the breakdown in parenting and family structures. Educational psychologists are, because of their professional expertise and accessibility, able to offer thera-peutic aid to the sexually abused child as a member of a multi-professional team. Therapeutic aid to the sexually abused child in the family context is undertaken with Relationship Therapy as a medium of aid / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

Can psychotherapeutic interventions be introduced in a playful manner to families and children affected by HIV / AIDS? Working from an ecosystemic worldview, this dissertation undertakes an investigation into the possibilities of working with HIV / AIDS affected children and families in South Africa in a playful manner in psychotherapy. Through a process of co-creating and reflecting, the narratives of four psychotherapists are used to describe their experiences of playfulness and psychotherapy with HIV / AIDS affected persons. These narratives are presented against a background of a research literature discussion of HIV / AIDS and play in therapy. It is argued that playful psychotherapeutic interventions with HIV / AIDS affected children and families are possible, given four criteria. Firstly, the basic resource requirements, food, clothing and transport, of the children and family members must be in place before emotional needs can be adequately addressed. Secondly, children should be allowed in the therapeutic space with the rest of the family. Thirdly, psychotherapists should be trained to make psychotherapy more child friendly. Lastly, these therapists should be willing to engage in a playful manner with their clients, and not fall prey to the stigma of HIV / AIDS. / Dissertation (MA (Counseling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted