This study is a qualitative exploration of the experiences of female executives in the financial sector of South Africa. It aims to explore the perceptions of the possible challenges which have been experienced by executive women within the financial sector while attempting to break the glass ceiling. In many countries including South Africa there lies a contradiction between our governmental policies of equality and equal representation for men and women in the employment sectors and the actual practice. Despite the fact that our employment laws have changed in order to give equal opportunities to both males and females there is still such a small percentage of women holding executive positions in corporate South Africa and this could be a consequence of the challenges faced by them. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis based on a feminist standpoint as a method, this study explores the hidden gender inequalities that exist within the boardrooms of the financial sector. It starts by exploring how available literature constructs the problem as related to the internal organisational and institutional structures of the financial sectors and individual matters and societal perceptions. Interview data from semi-structured interviews with females in executive positions were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Similar views emerged from the participants in this study, which confirm previous literature and studies. The barriers highlighted in this research were the different roles which men and women perform, compensation, networking and mentoring disadvantages, re-entry into the corporate world after maternity leave and the ability to be a mother and career woman at the same time. The study agrees that women tend to experience the glass ceiling or factors contributing to what has been termed the glass ceiling. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

The purpose of this qualitative dissertation study was to examine the lived experience and meaning making of challenges, benefits, satisfaction, and professional sustainability for the advanced practice provider in the burn surgery specialty service. The problem addressed was the knowledge gap resulting from a lack of literature describing aspects of the advanced practice provider role in the burn specialty. An interpretive phenomenological analysis, informed by the philosophy of Dr. Martin Heidegger, was undertaken. Participants were solicited from the American Burn Association Advanced Practice Provider (APP) special interest group site. The results provided a thick description of the lived experience of the Burn APP offering, illuminating commonalities and distinctions to promote role gratification and fulfillment leading to professional success and prolonged engagement. Keywords: advanced practice provider, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, interpretive phenomenology, hermeneutics.

Purpose: The primary goal of this research study was to describe the experiences of South African spectators as it pertains to the 2010 FIFA World Cup (WC) South AfricaTM . As this study focused on spectators' experiences before, during and after the 2010 FIFA WC, three secondary goals were identified, namely to describe South African spectators' experiences prior to the 2010 FIFA WC, to describe South African spectators' experiences during the 2010 FIFA WC and to describe South African spectators' experiences after the 2010 FIFA WC. Methodology: The researcher adopted a descriptive phenomenological research position, in particular the Duquesne Phenomenological Research Method (DPRM). With reference to this study, an objective phenomenon (the 2010 FIFA WC) was primarily understood by the researcher through the participants' (South African spectators) subjective descriptions of their first-hand experience of this phenomenon. This objective phenomenon presented itself within the mind of the individual and the researcher had access to this reality through the participants' written accounts and consequent interviews. Therefore two methods of data collection was used. The notions of reduction, bracketing, and free imagination were used in order to keep the researcher's personal biases and prior knowledge from contaminating the knowledge of the objective phenomenon. Findings: From the experiences prior to the 2010 FIFA WC there were four essences that emerged. Firstly, there was a sense of anticipation in SA in the build up towards the tournament. Participants were excited about socialising with foreigners, the performance of the South African national team as well as the opportunity to showcase SA's capabilities to host such an event. The second essence that emerged was the descriptions of the atmosphere in SA. There were some mixed emotions experienced leading up to the tournament with some being excited and others feeling pessimistic about SA's ability to host the tournament successfully. Thirdly, there was a sense of companionship between the participants and their friends as well as within SA as a nation. The final essence focussed on obtaining tickets, where some found it to be a complicating process while others had a surprisingly positive experience. From the experiences during the tournament there were again four essences. Firstly, participants had mostly positive experiences of attending the live matches. Secondly, participants made mention of the impressive organisation of the event. The third essence related to the enjoyable social interactions that they experienced. The final essence was a description of their experiences of the Vuvuzelas that came to be very popular during the tournament. From the experiences after the tournament, there were four essences. The first essence describes how there was a sense of unity among SA as a nation but it seemed to have faded quite quickly after the tournament. Secondly, the participants discovered a lot about themselves during the tournament and the essence of the positive experiences of socialising was once again prevalent. Finally, the participants were impressed with the improvements in infrastructure that left a physical legacy of a “once in a lifetime” event / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Psychology / UPonly

Despite a narrowing trend over the past forty years, the racial academic performance gap between non-Asian-American minority students and European-American students remains an overarching issue in K-12 schooling according to the Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis (2017). Du Bois’s (1903) theory of double consciousness is implicated in the performance gap phenomenon. Though not explicitly connected, Steele and Aronson’s 1995 study revealed stereotype threat (STT) to be an empirical explanation of the negative impact of double consciousness. Steele et al.’s study revealed a psycho-social contributor to the racial academic performance gap, STT. STT is characterized by performance suppression caused by the fear of fulfilling a negative stereotype or the fear of being judged based on a negative stereotype attributed to one’s social identity group. The activation of this phenomenon is related to identity threatening cues, a systemic issue laden in the academic environment (Purdie-Vaughns, Steele, Davies, Ditlmann, & Crosby, 2008). To date, over 300 studies have been conducted on STT according to a meta-analysis conducted by Pennington, Heim, Levy, and Larkin (2016). Though certain experimental studies featuring mentoring as a vehicle for shifting stereotype narratives have yielded useful practices for STT reduction (Good et al., 2003), qualitative design, which is seldomly employed in the STT field, may produce an understanding of the phenomenon that is not possible through a deductive approach (Ezzy, 2002; van Kaam, 1966). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore African-American adolescent student perceptions of the impact that mentoring has on their schooling experiences while under STT conditions. The findings of this study demonstrated that African-American adolescents perceived mentoring to positively impact their schooling experiences and helped them to cope with STT activating cues in the environment. The participants discussed structural aspects of the relationships, personality attributes of the mentor, and specific mentor guidance. Participants also discussed a documented STT intervention that fell outside of the parameters of their mentoring relationships that positively impacted their schooling experiences and abilities to cope with STT cues – affirmations (Cohen, Garcia, Apfel, & Master, 2006; Walton et al., 2012). Recommendations for practice and future research are presented.

Baggrund. Faldulykker blandt gamle mennesker er et folkesundhedsproblem i Danmark, Norden såvel som i den vestlige verden. Forebyggelse af fald har været grebet an i en befolkningsorienteret adfærdsmotiverendeog –regulerende modus. Denne faldforebyggelsestankegang er i opbrud. Formål. At beskrive hvorledes fald,faldhændelser og at miste balanceopleves og håndteres af gamle mennesker, der bor i selvstændig bolig. Studiet har ligeledes fokus på at undersøge sammenhænge i den faldforebyggende indsats med udgangspunkt i hvad de, der er faldet, har oplevet. Studiet bidragertil udvikling af sundhedsfremmende og faldforebyggende indsats i forhold til den enkelte og til den samlede indsats. Metode. Afhandlingenbygger på fire delstudier (I-IV). I de fire studier anvendes fortolkende fænomenologiskfilosofisk tilgang og analytisk metode. I et studie (III) sker det i en case study ramme og er suppleret med kritisk diskursanalytisk analyse og fortolkning af dokumenter. I alt blev ni kvinder og fire mænd (75-94 år) narrativt interviewetom at falde. To social-og sundhedshjælperen blev individuelt interviewet, de deltog også i fokusgruppeinterview sammen med to social-og sundhedsassistent kolleger og en sygeplejerske, der alle kom ihovedpersonernes hjem irelation til den faldforebyggende indsats. Resultater. For at kunne håndtere det sårbare, skrøbeligeog dødens nærhed ved fald udviklede fortællerne forskellige metoder til at klare situationer for at kunne tilpasse egne ressourcer til konteksten og opnå følelser af velvære (I). Frygt eller bekymring for at falde var altid usynligt tilstede og blev håndteret forskelligt. På den ene side blev frygten konkretiseret i en bekymring for at befinde sig i en nedværdigende situation på den anden side var frygten en eksistentiel udfordring og tegn på dødens nærhed (II). Hovedpersonerne forventede personlige relationer, indflydelse og valgmuligheder i samarbejdet med sundhedspersonale om forebyggelseaf fald. Løsninger skulle forhandles og balancerede mellem professionel og personlig omsorg (III). De, der var faldet viste ikke stor appetit på mad men spiste for at være i live. Appetitten viste sig i at have indflydelse i sociale relationer både til social-og sundhedspersonalet, til familie og naboer og med udgangspunkt i oplevelse af sociale tilhørsforhold have samfundsmæssig indflydelse. Konklusion. Forebyggelse af fald må fremover indebære også sundhedsfremmetankegang og tager udgangspunkt i betydninger og kontekst for på denne måde ikke blotat være multifaktoriel, men også multidimensionel med eksistentielt perspektiv / Background. Falls among older persons are a public health problem in Denmark, the Nordic countries and the rest of the Western world. In a population perspective fall-prevention has been characterised by an individual behavioural modificationand a regulating mode. This kind of fall-prevention discourseis nowbreaking up. Aim. To describe how community-dwelling older adults experience and handle falls, falling and loss ofbalance. The focus is also on examination offalls as contextual phenomena with the older adults’ experiences. This study will contribute to develop health promotion and fall-prevention to individuals and to the fall-prevention as so. Methodology. This thesis consists offour studies/articles (I-IV). Interpretative phenomenology as philosophical and analytical method was used. In one study (III) case study methodwas used as a framework,complemented bycritical discourse-analytic interpretation of documents. Within thefour studies nine women and four men (75-94 years old) were interviewed in narrative in-depth interviews about falling. In article III,five health and social workers and a nurse were interviewed. Results. In coping withfalling accidents, vulnerability, frailty and death imminence the participants developed various methods ofmanagingeveryday lifeat home. They describedadaptive resourcesused to achieve an adequate quality oflife andexperiencea feeling of well-being (I). Fear of fallingwas always present and was met in differentways. On one handwas worry aboutungraceful situationsnot able to manage on your own; on the other hand was the willto live with the fear.(II). The two protagonists, dependent onhome-care developed their own strategies for preventingfalls. The health professionals created a supportive network; a platform of continuity where the efforts of the older persons and the staff complemented each other. The staff had no clear approachto addressing issues raised by accidental falls or the prevention of falls (III).Eating and appetite on foodwerenot trivial everyday routines. The participants showed no particular interest in eating but ateto stay alive. Even if they had little appetite forfood, the participants showed great appetite forestablishing social relationships withfamily, neighbours and health care staff,as well as appetite forestablishing an influence in these relations and in local communities and society. Conclusion. In the future,fall-prevention must takea health promotion approach and contextualise falling accidents withexperiences and meanings as point of reference. Fall-prevention will be not only multifactorial,but also multidimenssional and existential

The 2010 Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) World Cup (WC) would be the first time that a FIFA WC would be hosted on the African continent. This study was aimed at describing the South African City of Tshwane (COT) general volunteers’ experiences of volunteering at the 2010 FIFA WC. The FIFA Volunteer Programme consists of two groups of volunteers: Local Organising Committee (LOC) volunteers and each Host City (HC) volunteers. The COT volunteers are HC volunteers from the Tshwane Metropolitan Area (TMA). Volunteers are active in a variety of different contexts, namely in the community, volunteers at sport clubs or schools and also at mega sport events. Volunteers make it possible to host a mega sport event because they provide their time and effort without expecting remuneration or they receive a stipend amount. The existing literature of volunteers at mega sport events investigated what motivated volunteers to participate as well as how satisfied the volunteers were with the experience. The aim of this study was to describe COT general volunteers’ experiences of preparing (preparation phase) for the 2010 FIFA WC; COT general volunteers’ experiences during (participation phase) the 2010 FIFA WC, as well as the South African COT general volunteers’ experiences on their involvement (reflection phase) at the 2010 FIFA WC was described. The methodology employed in this study was Descriptive Phenomenology and the Duquesne Phenomenological Research Method was used to analyse the material. The differences between Descriptive Phenomenology and Interpretive Phenomenology were described. The material consisted of a written account as well as an interview, which was based on the essences that were portrayed in the written accounts. There were five participants — three spectator services volunteers and two rights protection volunteers. All of the participants were female. The findings of this study were divided into the preparation phase, participation phase and the reflection phase. In the preparation phase the COT general volunteers described two essences namely, the application process and training. In the participation phase the COT general volunteers experienced four essences namely, the working of shifts, interaction with volunteers, interaction with supervisors and lastly interaction with tourists. In the reflection phase the volunteers described two experiences, growth and value. This research project contributes to sport psychology because this study describes the experiences of volunteers at the 2010 FIFA WC. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Psychology / unrestricted

Being a lecturer and serving in the Higher Degrees Committee of the Department of Public Administration and Management at Unisa for several years, gave me exposure to master’s and doctoral candidates’ scholarly work. I realised that the doctoral candidates, in particular, were facing methodological challenges. This realisation triggered my curiosity in the methodological preparedness of doctoral candidates. My scholarly curiosity prompted me to undertake a preliminary literature review which has identified a number of scholarly contributions on the quality of research in Public Administration. These studies have not established or attempted to establish conceptual frameworks for understanding this phenomenon. I deduced that the lack of scholarly contributions on the methodological preparedness of doctoral candidates indicates a knowledge gap that compromises scholarly understanding of methodological preparedness, both as a concept and a phenomenon. The main purpose of this research was to generate theory, by means of the development of a conceptual framework, in response to the identified knowledge gap in the literature. Consequently, a qualitative theory generating research design was chosen and actualised in three interrelated research phases. Phase 1 provides a theoretical perspective by turning to the scholarly literature and institutional documents to obtain a deepened understanding of the concept methodological preparedness relevant to Public Administration doctoral candidates. This phase serves, firstly, to provide an overview of the characteristics of the doctorate in Public Administration as an immediate context for methodological preparedness, and secondly, to do a concept analysis to identify and describe the meaning of the concept methodological preparedness with reference to a doctoral candidate. Phase 2 aimed to make sense of the methodological preparedness of Public Administration doctoral candidates at Unisa by exploring, through an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), how doctoral candidates and supervisors make sense of this phenomenon. This study makes a methodological contribution by employing the IPA for the first time in the South African Public Administration fraternity. Phase 3 generates a conceptual framework for understanding the methodological preparedness of Public Administration doctoral candidates at Unisa. The framework contributes to the understanding of the under- vi researched concept and phenomenon methodological preparedness of doctoral candidates in Public Administration. This study has shown that a candidate’s methodological preparedness (the state of being competent to independently make a methodological decision relevant to his or her doctoral research project), is not a once-off gate-keeping phenomenon, but an ongoing and fluent state of being. / Public Administration / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Administration)

Objective The present study aimed to explore women's perceptions and experiences of childbirth by unplanned Caesarean section. Background New motherhood is characterised as a profound change, and research suggests that the psychological effects of childbirth can be significant and far–reaching for some women. The processes occurring during a traumatic birth experience could affect a woman's emotional and psychological state, and she may experience considerable adjustment difficulties in adapting to unfulfilled expectations of delivering her baby naturally. Methods In–depth interviews explored 10 women's lived experiences of childbirth, after which thematic content analysis was used to synthesise data. The elements of phenomenological theory served as a broad framework for the structuring, organizing and categorizing of data, with interpretation aimed at gaining a greater understanding of women's internalised childbirth accounts. Findings Women described their contact with medical personnel, as well as the physical, environmental, and emotional aspects of their unplanned Caesarean sections, as distressing and traumatic. A sense of loss of control was the most significant contributor to women's negative childbirth experiences. Feelings of failure and disappointment were primarily related to unmet expectations and a lack of preparedness. Negative experiences were mediated by attentive caregiving, inclusion in decision–making, and support from loved ones. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Objective The present study aimed to explore women's perceptions and experiences of childbirth by unplanned Caesarean section. Background New motherhood is characterised as a profound change, and research suggests that the psychological effects of childbirth can be significant and far–reaching for some women. The processes occurring during a traumatic birth experience could affect a woman's emotional and psychological state, and she may experience considerable adjustment difficulties in adapting to unfulfilled expectations of delivering her baby naturally. Methods In–depth interviews explored 10 women's lived experiences of childbirth, after which thematic content analysis was used to synthesise data. The elements of phenomenological theory served as a broad framework for the structuring, organizing and categorizing of data, with interpretation aimed at gaining a greater understanding of women's internalised childbirth accounts. Findings Women described their contact with medical personnel, as well as the physical, environmental, and emotional aspects of their unplanned Caesarean sections, as distressing and traumatic. A sense of loss of control was the most significant contributor to women's negative childbirth experiences. Feelings of failure and disappointment were primarily related to unmet expectations and a lack of preparedness. Negative experiences were mediated by attentive caregiving, inclusion in decision–making, and support from loved ones. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

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