The composition of society is rapidly changing as the elderly population is increasing dramatically. In South Africa, black grandmothers play an important role in intergenerational relationships as they take on the responsibility of caring for their young grandchildren because of HIV/Aids, migration of the parents or other economic difficulties. As the grandmothers and the children are raised in different time–periods, it can be difficult for them to understand one another. Since healthy relationships with older persons in the early years lead to secure attachments, the relationship between grandmother and grandchild holds serious implications for the development and view of the world of the child. Research of this nature can help to develop healthy connections with a younger generation which again can help older adults to feel a greater sense of fulfilment. In fact, linking older adults with youth can provide advantages for both generations to thrive as people. Understanding the developmental life tasks and cognitive development of the generations can also assist to effectively deal with different perspectives of the interactions and communication processes between grandmothers and their grandchildren, thus helping both generations to thrive as people. Healthy interaction between grandmothers and grandchildren are guided by clear structure, which means that grandmothers can provide a trustworthy and predictable interpersonal environment to assist their grandchildren to define and clarify their experiences, whislt nurturance implies that grandmothers are warm, tender, soothing, calming, and comforting. When engaging with the grandchildren, one can say that grandmothers provide excitement, surprise and stimulation and simultaneously challenge the children which means that grandmothers encourage grandchildren to expand their behavioural repertoire and become more independent. Grandmother ? grandchildren interactions are informed by specific parenting styles which are referred to as a group of attitudes toward children that create an emotional climate in which the intergenerational relationships between the two generations are expressed. The manner, therefore in which grandmothers and grandchildren communicate with each other, as well as the content of the conversations, help to shed light on the nature of the relationship between the two generations. This research aims to gain a better understanding as well as different perspectives of the interactions and communication processes between grandmothers and their grandchildren. A convenience sample was employed to obtain 17 grandparents between 71 and 96 years and older, and their grandchildren in their care, boys and girls between ages 4 and 13 years old. The criterion was the availability of participants on the specific day of data gathering. The intergenerational reflective listening technique (IGRT) was used for data gathering while both generations are present. In terms of the IGRT, the researcher requested the children to sit in an inner circle and answer questions about the important places that their grandmothers tell them about. The researcher also explored the manner in which this information was communicated to the children. As the study involved older persons and very young children, special attention was paid to ethical considerations. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the North–West University, Potchefstroom Campus, as part of a larger project, being: “An exploration of enabling contexts (05K14).” The main finding of the study is that type of information which is transferred from the grandmother to the younger generation is educational in nature with instrumental support as a sign of love and care. The grandmothers teach the children norms, values and life principles. During the younger age, children conform to the teachings of the grandmothers, which evoke feelings of pride and appreciation from the grandmothers. This confirms solidarity in the relationship. On the other hand, the same relational definition does not apply to the young adults and the grandmothers explained their strained relationship with the young adults as out of their control. It is also clear that the way the two generations display love and affection are instrumental in nature. Although the IGRT is considered as an effective method of collecting data of this nature, the limited time available for this study resulted in the collecting of only one data set. One of the recommendations is further study with more than one group of participants. This includes grandmothers with young grandchildren as well as grandmothers with younger adults. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The composition of society is rapidly changing as the elderly population is increasing dramatically. In South Africa, black grandmothers play an important role in intergenerational relationships as they take on the responsibility of caring for their young grandchildren because of HIV/Aids, migration of the parents or other economic difficulties. As the grandmothers and the children are raised in different time–periods, it can be difficult for them to understand one another. Since healthy relationships with older persons in the early years lead to secure attachments, the relationship between grandmother and grandchild holds serious implications for the development and view of the world of the child. Research of this nature can help to develop healthy connections with a younger generation which again can help older adults to feel a greater sense of fulfilment. In fact, linking older adults with youth can provide advantages for both generations to thrive as people. Understanding the developmental life tasks and cognitive development of the generations can also assist to effectively deal with different perspectives of the interactions and communication processes between grandmothers and their grandchildren, thus helping both generations to thrive as people. Healthy interaction between grandmothers and grandchildren are guided by clear structure, which means that grandmothers can provide a trustworthy and predictable interpersonal environment to assist their grandchildren to define and clarify their experiences, whislt nurturance implies that grandmothers are warm, tender, soothing, calming, and comforting. When engaging with the grandchildren, one can say that grandmothers provide excitement, surprise and stimulation and simultaneously challenge the children which means that grandmothers encourage grandchildren to expand their behavioural repertoire and become more independent. Grandmother ? grandchildren interactions are informed by specific parenting styles which are referred to as a group of attitudes toward children that create an emotional climate in which the intergenerational relationships between the two generations are expressed. The manner, therefore in which grandmothers and grandchildren communicate with each other, as well as the content of the conversations, help to shed light on the nature of the relationship between the two generations. This research aims to gain a better understanding as well as different perspectives of the interactions and communication processes between grandmothers and their grandchildren. A convenience sample was employed to obtain 17 grandparents between 71 and 96 years and older, and their grandchildren in their care, boys and girls between ages 4 and 13 years old. The criterion was the availability of participants on the specific day of data gathering. The intergenerational reflective listening technique (IGRT) was used for data gathering while both generations are present. In terms of the IGRT, the researcher requested the children to sit in an inner circle and answer questions about the important places that their grandmothers tell them about. The researcher also explored the manner in which this information was communicated to the children. As the study involved older persons and very young children, special attention was paid to ethical considerations. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the North–West University, Potchefstroom Campus, as part of a larger project, being: “An exploration of enabling contexts (05K14).” The main finding of the study is that type of information which is transferred from the grandmother to the younger generation is educational in nature with instrumental support as a sign of love and care. The grandmothers teach the children norms, values and life principles. During the younger age, children conform to the teachings of the grandmothers, which evoke feelings of pride and appreciation from the grandmothers. This confirms solidarity in the relationship. On the other hand, the same relational definition does not apply to the young adults and the grandmothers explained their strained relationship with the young adults as out of their control. It is also clear that the way the two generations display love and affection are instrumental in nature. Although the IGRT is considered as an effective method of collecting data of this nature, the limited time available for this study resulted in the collecting of only one data set. One of the recommendations is further study with more than one group of participants. This includes grandmothers with young grandchildren as well as grandmothers with younger adults. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

This research was aimed at the development, implementation and evaluation of a parenting program for parents with pre-school children, after a divorce, in order to improve the sosio-emotional functioning of the adults, as well as the children. The motivation for this study stemmed from the reality of divorce in many family systems. Intervention research as applied research was utilised. A two-phase research approach was undertaken. A quantitative questionnaire approach as used during phase 1. The following research question was formulated for this phase: What should the content of a parenting program for parents after a divorce with pre-school children be? A needs assessment questionnaire was completed by 20 members of the population and an assessment of child-respondents, was undertaken. This data, complemented the literature study which was undertaken and brought information to the foreground which established the contents of the parenting program. The research question could therefore be answered. A child assessment was undertaken with the children of the parents who would attend the workshop during phase 2, in order to explore the children’s experience of their living environment. The quantitative approach was used in phase 2 as the single system design. The following research hypothesis was formulated for this phase: If parents and their pre-school children attend a parenting program after a divorce, a significant change in their sosio-emotional functioning should realise. Four workshops were implemented, in the following way: Theoretical workshops for the custodial and non-custodial parent respectively and practical workshops for the custodial parent and child and the non-custodial parent and child respectively. A quantitative questionnaire was completed prior to the workshops and thereafter by the 5 family systems involved. This instrument of measurement confirmed the hypotheses. A comparison was done between the literature and the empirical data. Conclusions and recommendations for future research were formulated, as a result of the research study. / Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

This research study focused on the factors that influence the disciplining of pre-school children during the divorce process. Divorce is an escalating phenomenon and more pre-school children are being exposed to divorce. A pre-school child’s development limits his abstract thinking processes which keep him to fully comprehending concepts like divorce. The verbal capacity of pre-school children is still limited and therefore they are not always able to communicate what they experience and observe. They are also not always able to express their emotions. The pre-school child communicates through behaviour and play. Divorce is not only the legal termination of the marriage for adults, but in fact entails more responsibilities, challenges, losses and adaptations. More pressure is placed on the parents and they tend to be emotional overwhelmed, physical exhausted and emotionally drained. This causes that the parents to not see their way open to care for and especially discipline their pre-school child. Discipline in general is left aside and is not followed through consistently. The purpose of this study is of ‘n explorative nature. It aims to explore the factors that have an impact on the disciplining of the pre-school child, prior to, during and after the divorce process. A quantitative research approach has been followed with this study and a questionnaire has been used for gathering information. A non-probability sampling method was used and the respondents were selected through a purposive sample. The respondents were selected from the Pretoria East region. The organisations that assisted the researcher in selecting the respondents were the Counselling centre of the Dutch Reformed Church of Moreletapark and the Child Trauma Clinic. For this study 19 respondents were selected. The questionnaires was given out by hand and collected by hand. The children of the respondents who participated in the study were all pre-school children when going through the divorce. It has been concluded from this study that the factors impacting the discipline of pre-school children during the divorce process, is of an emotional nature. A factor that played an important role in the disciplining of pre-school children is the guilt feelings that the respondents experienced for exposing their children to a divorce. Physical tiredness, emotional exhaustion, conflict between parents during and after the divorce and the number of times that one of the parents leaved the house, are factors that according to the respondents, influenced the disciplining of their pre-school children. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / MSD / unrestricted

Afrikaans text / In this study, the reasons for the phenomenon of continuous loyalty towards and hero worship of incapable parents are investigated. Case studies with a qualitative and quantitative research paradigm were completed on two adolescents. Media that was used to collect data include: interviews, Kinetic Family Drawing, Sacks Incomplete Sentence Test and the High School Personality Questionnaire. The findings of this study indicate that there are certain factors that are typical traits of incapable parenthood. Adolescents deal with this child-parent relationship through rationalisation and defence. The result is a feeling of inferiority, poor self-image and behavioural patterns that are aimed at satisfying the parents and receiving in turn, positive feedback. This study supplies answers to parents and individuals in the educational-psychological field in understanding the adolescent in such situations. Further research is however necessary to gain information about this phenomenon in order to be able to substantiate the findings. / In hierdie studie is die redes vir die verskynsel van lojaliteit teenoor, en heldeverering vir ontoereikende ouers ondersoek. `n Gevallestudie, met `n kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is op twee adolessente gedoen. Die media waarmee die data ingesamel is sluit in: onderhoudvoering, Kinetiese Gesinstekening, Sacks Onvoltooide Sinnetoets en die Hoërskoolpersoonlikheidsvraelys. Die bevindings van hierdie studie toon aan dat daar sekere faktore is wat kenmerkend van ontoereikende ouerskap is. Adolessente spreek hierdie ouer-kind-verhouding aan deur rasionalisasie en verdediging. Die gevolg is `n gevoel van minderwaardigheid en `n swak selfbeeld, asook gedrag wat daarop gerig word om die ouers tevrede te stel en positiewe terugvoer van hulle af te kry. Hierdie studie bied antwoorde aan ouers en persone in die opvoedkundige-sielkunde praktyk oor hoe om adolessente in sulke situasies te verstaan. Verdere navorsing is egter nodig om inligting oor dié verskynsel te bekom en sodoende bevindings te kan veralgemeen. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Afrikaans text / In this study, the reasons for the phenomenon of continuous loyalty towards and hero worship of incapable parents are investigated. Case studies with a qualitative and quantitative research paradigm were completed on two adolescents. Media that was used to collect data include: interviews, Kinetic Family Drawing, Sacks Incomplete Sentence Test and the High School Personality Questionnaire. The findings of this study indicate that there are certain factors that are typical traits of incapable parenthood. Adolescents deal with this child-parent relationship through rationalisation and defence. The result is a feeling of inferiority, poor self-image and behavioural patterns that are aimed at satisfying the parents and receiving in turn, positive feedback. This study supplies answers to parents and individuals in the educational-psychological field in understanding the adolescent in such situations. Further research is however necessary to gain information about this phenomenon in order to be able to substantiate the findings. / In hierdie studie is die redes vir die verskynsel van lojaliteit teenoor, en heldeverering vir ontoereikende ouers ondersoek. `n Gevallestudie, met `n kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is op twee adolessente gedoen. Die media waarmee die data ingesamel is sluit in: onderhoudvoering, Kinetiese Gesinstekening, Sacks Onvoltooide Sinnetoets en die Hoërskoolpersoonlikheidsvraelys. Die bevindings van hierdie studie toon aan dat daar sekere faktore is wat kenmerkend van ontoereikende ouerskap is. Adolessente spreek hierdie ouer-kind-verhouding aan deur rasionalisasie en verdediging. Die gevolg is `n gevoel van minderwaardigheid en `n swak selfbeeld, asook gedrag wat daarop gerig word om die ouers tevrede te stel en positiewe terugvoer van hulle af te kry. Hierdie studie bied antwoorde aan ouers en persone in die opvoedkundige-sielkunde praktyk oor hoe om adolessente in sulke situasies te verstaan. Verdere navorsing is egter nodig om inligting oor dié verskynsel te bekom en sodoende bevindings te kan veralgemeen. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)