M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / The context of psychotherapy groups determine which factors are experienced as therapeutic. The nature of inpatient setting, the brief duration of the groups. and the concurrent nature of therapy were hypothesised as having a possible effect on which factors are perceived as therapeutic. For this particular study the added effect of substance dependency was taken into account. Each of these factors were discussed in a detailed review of the literature. The model of research used in the study was the attitudinal survey with the means of a questionnaire. The patients rank-ordered the relative importance of the various treatment experiences offered by Phoenix House. The primary research data was obtained by means of Yalom's (1985) therapeutic statement questionnaire. well validated in terms of reliability and validity. The statements have previously been used in a forced Q-sort method. In this study it was decided to leave it open as more factors may be rated as therapeutic than those achieved in a Q-sort. Time and expediency were also factors taken into account in using the questionnaire rating in an unforced manner. Open ended questions were used to obtain descriptive data regarding the helpfulness of group psychotherapy and their perceptions of concurrent therapy. A nonprobability sampling procedure was used. The present study addressed the following questions: 1. How do inpatients dependent upon substances perceive. in relation to other treatment methods, their group psychotherapy experiences? 2. Which aspects of the inpatient group psychotherapy experiences. as reflected in the therapeutic factors. seemto be perceived as most and least useful to people dependent upon substances? 3. How do the inpatients perceive their concurrent individual and group psychotherapy? 4. Do high and low valuers of inpatient group psychotherapy value different therapeutic factors?

M.Sc. (Geography) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. (Social Work : Clinical) / Please refer to full text to view abstract.

M.Tech. / The main purpose of the study was: • To determine the satisfaction and confidence of the graduates of the University of Johannesburg’s Chiropractic program. Additional objectives included: • To discuss the differences between the educations received at South African Chiropractic programmes and internationally recognized Chiropractic programmes by comparing the syllabus offered in each program. • To determine from the data received which areas of the program could be improved. There are 132 graduates from the University of Johannesburg’s Chiropractic program. These doctors of Chiropractic have the same skills and knowledge as internationally qualified doctors of Chiropractic however the South African programmes do not have international accreditation. The university is currently going through a process to obtain international accreditation. The postgraduate student surveys are important tools that can be used to determine where the course could be improved and where it is excelling. Being in daily practice these Doctors of Chiropractic are able to objectively point out the strengths and weaknesses of the current programme at the University. This is integral to the advancement of both the practitioner and the profession. A questionnaire-based study comprising a convenience sample was used to determine postgraduate student confidence in the Chiropractic course. A total of 47 Chiropractors responded which comprises the sample group that was used in this study. Results showed that the graduates of the University of Johannesburg’s Chiropractic course are confident in their adjustment skills, diagnostics and the knowledge pertaining to these subjects. As experience increases so does the overall confidence in adjusting techniques. With treating paediatric patients, approximately half the respondents were confident and majority of respondents think it is essential to have paediatrics incorporated into the course. With regards to pharmacology, only 43 of the respondents had had pharmacology as part of the syllabus, all of the respondents were not confident. With regards to research, approximately half of the participants were not confident in doing research. Upon qualifying most postgraduate students open up their own practices. In conclusion, on the whole the graduates of the University of Johannesburg were confident; however the data indicates that areas relating to research, pharmacology and paediatrics may need investigation.

D.Litt. et Phil. (Anthropology) / This thesis investigated how public spheres are spatialised in public space. The public sphere is commonly understood as the public deliberation between people to establish their common interests and the bearing this has on state authority. While it is acknowledged that public space is essential for public sphere development, this link between public space and the public sphere has not been extensively researched. There is also a lack of literature examining people’s experiences of public space in the global south, especially anthropological studies that focus on people’s experiences of and in urban parks. This thesis seek to answer how public spheres are spatialised in an urban park, Joubert Park, in Johannesburg, by asking what the context of the creation for the park is, what rules of access and use exist, and how the management model adopted by the City of Johannesburg and the managing agent, City Parks, affect what happens in the park. South Africa had, and still has, very specific patterns of spatial development and use, shaped through its colonial history, and apartheid. Post-apartheid South Africa holds the possibility of changing the way that space is used, and regulated, from being exclusionary based on race to being inclusionary. Joubert Park is situated in the inner city of Johannesburg, and is the oldest park in the city. At its establishment in 1891 it was situated in a relatively well-off area of Johannesburg. In the 1930s single houses in the area were replaced with art-deco apartment buildings, and served as a first receiving point for European and migrants from other parts of South African. The 1990s ushered in an era of white flight and decline within the inner-city, affecting the buildings around the park. Today the surrounding area is generally seen as decayed and is the focus of inner-city regeneration efforts aiming to build an “African World Class” city. The park is well used by a variety of urban dwellers and is considered by City Parks as a flagship within the city. It has an art gallery, various non-governmental organisations and is patronised by a variety of users, traders, chess-players and photographers. This thesis utilised standard ethnographic practices. Fieldwork consisted of ‘hanging out’ and participating within the park, formal interviews, directed questioning, and archival research. Data analysis proceeded from a combination of framework analysis, arising from theory, and grounded, from within the data. Findings were that although park users say that the park is freely available for all to use, it is in fact constrained by identity markers such as race, class, gender, sexuality and nationality. These factors articulate to produce certain experiences of the park. At the same time that people are excluded from the park, people also exclude themselves. These mechanisms of exclusions broadly reflect South African society, which has been described as socially conservative despite a liberal constitution that was implemented in 1996. The City of Johannesburg has rules and regulations that aim to exclude certain users, mostly poor and homeless people, from the park. Park users resist these rules but their small acts of resistance do not change how the rules are applied. At the same time as enforcing rules, both written and unwritten, on park users, the City ignored its own responsibilities as laid out in by-laws concerning the park. The City’s ideal users are different from actual park users and this causes contestations around space use. Lastly, findings were that there were wisps of public sphere activity taking place within the park, but that this is not sustained in any meaningful manner. Outside the park there are many more recognisable and sustained public sphere activities through protest marches. Park users do not participate in these protest marches despite the fact that the marches are similar to their own concerns. This thesis argues that more loosely regulated public space is necessary for public spheres to develop. This thesis addresses literature in urban anthropology, public space, and public sphere. It contributed to urban anthropology by showing how a small urban park can reveal patterns in the city as well as applying a unified framework developed by Setha Low. It contributed to public space literature by contributing to knowledge of public spaces in the global South. Lastly, it contributed to public sphere literature by showing that the type of regulations in public spaces can inhibit the formation of effective public spheres. Key words: Joubert Park, public space, public sphere, Johannesburg, urban anthropology

M.A. (Social Work) / This dissertation centers on attachment. The focus is on four adolescent girls and how their attachment style is impacted by the experience of parental separation. A qualitative research process is applied by means of a two-part semi-structured interview. The first interview focuses more on the experience of the parental separation, and the second interview on the present social attachments of the adolescent girl. This study is informed by phenomenology as it analyses the adolescent experience of the parental separation by means of the change in the physical and emotional presence of her mother and father. It then explores her subjective experiences with and perception of her attachment to others. The study endeavours to reach a deeper understanding of how a break in the relationship with a parent as a consequence of a parental separation, even at the adolescent phase of development, can impact the adolescent's inner sense of security and in turn, other present social attachments. In light of the above, past literature together with attachment theory research on initial attachments with one's main care-givers is reviewed, looking at the development of a secure versus insecure attachment style. It is hoped that this dissertation serves to enrich the existing body of knowledge on attachment with regards to parental separation, and is of use to clinical professionals in the field.

M.A. (Development Studies) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) / This thesis deals with the reappropriation of an existing parking garage into a language institute at Constitution Hill. Through the generation of a flu id conversation between architecture and people this thesis aims to address the underlying social miscommunication present within South African society through a socially motivated architectural manifestation. The underlining aim of this thesis will be the generation of a socially orientated architectural platform that allows and encourages cross-pollination. This architectural platform will revolve around and investigate the many opportunities that language offers asa social mediator and how these opportunities can aid in the democratization of identity generation. This new approach will be more representative of the complex multicultural society that is present within South Africa and as a result will end up being more democratic in nature.

This study aimed to investigate and describe perceptions Fire Fighters and Platoon Commanders from Johannesburg Emergency Services have of educational offerings offered by and / or deemed applicable to the emergency service, with specific reference to their vocational applicability and value in relation to promotion. It is argued in this report that such perceptions may affect the motivation experienced by adult learners to engage in further study and thus may influence the learning process as a whole. An understanding of how emergency service workers feel about the various courses and or qualifications that are on offer becomes important for managers, trainers and educators not only within the Johannesburg Emergency Service but also within industry as they plan and structure future educational offerings and training programmes. To collect data on the perceptions described above in-depth face to face interviews were conducted with a purposefully selected sample of Fire Fighters and Platoon Commanders. During these interviews the participants were required to respond to questions which were specifically designed to elicit their views and perceptions on the vocational applicability of courses and qualifications relevant to their daily work within the emergency service and the value of further study for promotion. The interviews were audio recorded producing raw data, which could be later transcribed verbatim. Once sufficient data was collected, this data was analysed and interpreted. The analysis and interpretation yielded a number of significant findings relating to the participants’ perceptions of the vocational applicability of various courses and qualifications linked to the service as well as the perceived value or link between further study and promotion. The findings relating to vocational applicability emphasised that perceptions about which courses and / or qualifications had higher levels of vocational applicability were most often linked to the participant’s position within the service as well as their own personal preference for a particular specialist area or vocational discipline. In addition, the frequency with which the participants utilised a learning outcome or skill appeared to play a significant role in determining their perception regarding the vocational applicability of learning events. Although the courses currently on offer were largely seen as being vocationally applicable there was a perception that significant deficits existed in their levels of training and preparation for particular incidents and components of the participants’ vocational activities. The study also found a perception among the participants that they were not afforded an equal opportunity to study further in each of the three main vocational disciplines. Regarding further learning and promotion within the service, this study found that the participants did not perceive a clearly identifiable link between further study and promotion and that promotion was not the main driving force behind their desire to study further. There also appeared to be confusion and a lack of consensus about which courses are best for promotion. The rescue courses specifically receive little recognition from the service in terms of promotion. Based on these findings a number of recommendations were made. It was recommended that the service consider the introduction of new learning programmes to supplement the learning outcomes of existing qualifications and courses. The employer was also encouraged to provide better clarity and guidance for staff about how all the different courses and qualifications are to be recognised and managed within the service. In order to do this, the employer was encouraged to carefully reflect on the role of further study within the service as well as the envisaged linkages between particular courses and qualifications and the workers operational duties, promotion, specialisation and career development. / Dr. K. Steenekamp Prof. A. Swart

M.A. (Industrial Psychology) / South Africa is a diverse country with people from different races, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds. Yet the differences that exist amongst its citizens are neither embraced nor accepted by all its people. Alexandra Township was chosen as the research site to investigate the xenophobic attacks of May 2008 as this was where the attacks first started. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of Alexandra residents towards the attacks of May 2008 in order to determine their attitudes towards black foreigners. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted in different sections of Alexandra. Interviews were conducted with twelve males and eight females. The findings revealed that lack of service delivery and competition for scarce resources was the major factors that contributed to xenophobic attacks on foreigners. Other factors that played a role included frustration and anger by residents about a feeling of entitlement, i.e. things they felt were owing to them but they had not received such as houses and employment. The study found the views differed between perpetrators of the attacks and observers of the violence. It is clear that xenophobic sentiments are rooted in multiple factors.