This research explored the possible reasons for the lack of males in professional psychology in the South African context, by examining the reasons why second and third year, male psychology students decide not to enter postgraduate studies in psychology. A mixed methods research design was employed. The quantitative aspect consisted of the administration of a questionnaire including the Male Attitude Norms Inventory-II (MANI-II), a questionnaire measuring levels of hegemonic masculinity, to test for the degree to which hegemonic masculinity may influence the decision to pursue or not to pursue postgraduate studies in psychology. The qualitative aspect involved semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with second and third year undergraduate, male, psychology students who specified that they did not intend on pursuing postgraduate studies in psychology. This aspect of the research was designed to determine the possible reasons for the decision not to pursue postgraduate studies in psychology, as well as to assess the degree to which masculinity affects this decision. Quantitative results showed that there was not a significant difference on the MANI-II between groups (although certain individual items did show significant results). The results of the qualitative interviews showed that many issues were potentially contributing to distorted and negative views of professional psychology, although a major finding was that the participants viewed their masculinity as being incompatible with the requirements of professional psychology and that professional psychology would be an unfulfilling career. Recommendations included greater education on the reality of the work involved in professional psychology as well as possibly increasing the exposure of undergraduate males to postgraduate and professional male psychologists as well as greater consultation to improve the media‟s representation to reflect the realities of psychological practice

The main aim of this study was to gain an overall estimate of the incidence of self-reported burnout among Indian secondary school teachers. Other secondary, though closely related aims were: a) to determine whether teachers differ, with respect to selected background variables, in their perceptions of burnout; b) to investigate the differences, if any, in the responses of burnoutees and non-burnoutees to 25 selected role-related variables with a view to examining the relationship between such variables and burnout; and c) to examine the distribution of burnoutees and nonburnoutees on an internal - external locus of control dichotomy with a view to examining the relationship between this personality construct and burnout. The sample of Level One secondary school teachers in this study (N = 690) was randomly selected from a list of all Indian secondary schools in the greater Durban area (N = 59). Teachers responded to a four-part questionnaire designed to gather data relating to demographic characteristics, role-related stressors, locus of control and degree of burnout. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to determine whether a respondent was a "burnoutee" or a "non-burnoutee". It included 3 subscales relating to Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation and Personal Accomplishment. The major findings of this study were as follows: a) Approximately 1 in 4 teachers in the sample saw himself/herself as a "burnoutee". b) When teachers were grouped according to background variables, the incidence of burnout was found to be greater among female, married, younger, less experienced, graduate and low-salaried teachers. c) The majority of both "burnoutees" and "non-burnoutees" in this study were unhappy with teaching and found it to be only "moderately satisfying". Many also declared that teaching had not lived up to their expectations and that they would readily change to an entirely new kind of occupation if they had to start their careers afresh. The low degree of satisfaction was found to correlate with perceived feelings of burnout. Older teachers, however, enjoyed greater job satisfaction than their younger counterparts. d) No relationship was found between the personality construct of Locus of Control and burnout. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1992.

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The aims of this thesis were to explore nurses' experiences of stress in the ICU (I), to analyze experiences of moral concerns in intensive care nursing from the perspective of relational ethics (II), to describe the synthesis of the concept of moral stress and to identify preconditions for moral stress (III) and to analyse and describe lived experiences of support in situations characterized by critical care situations and moral stress in intensive care (IV).The design was exploratory and descriptive. Material in studies I, II and IV consisted of interviews with intensive care nurses (10 head nurses and 26 staff nurses) employed in general, thoracic and neonatal intensive care units in five hospitals located in different parts of Sweden. The material in study III data from two studies of professional issues in nursing were used for the analysis: one concerned psychiatric nursing and the other was the previously referred study I.In study I qualitative content analysis and descriptive interpretation was used in the analysis. The main theme 'stress induced by dissonant imperatives' formulated in the analysis. Dissonant imperatives are composed of the four sub-themes: 1) controlled by the working situation - needing to be in control, 2) constrained by prioritisation - wanting to do more, 3) lacking authority to act - knowing that something should be done, and 4) professional distance - interpersonal involvement. In study II qualitative content analysis and descriptive interpretation were used in the analysis. A main theme was formulated, 'caring about-caring for: tensions between moral obligations and work responsibilities in intensive care nursing'. Five sub-themes were formulated 1) believing in a good death, 2) knowing the course of events, 3) feelings of distress, 4) reasoning about the physicians and 5) expressing moral awareness. In the study III a hypothetical-deductive method was used. The findings indicate that moral stress is independent of context-given specific pre-conditions: 1) nurses are morally sensitive to the patient's vulnerability, 2) nurses experience external factors preventing them from doing the best for the patient, and 3) nurses feel that they have no control over the situation. In the study IV an interpretive method was used. The first level of analysis of data identified contextual factors, such as type and purpose of support and working conditions. Thereafter five tentative interpretations were revealed: 1) receiving organised support is a matter of self-determination, 2) whether to participate or to be off duty is experienced mutually as exclusive, 3) dealing with moral stress is experienced as a private matter, 4) colleagues managing moral stress serve as models in stress support, and 5) not being able to deal with moral stress urges one to seek outside support. A comparison of these interpretations identified three major themes: availability, accessibility and receptivity of support. The main interpretation of data was: "lived experience of moral stress support involves an interconnectedness between structural and existential factors".A comprehensive understanding was formulated using the four studies (I, II, III and IV). Moral stress was found to be influential on the caring competence. Conflicts between different competences were found leading to a shift in focus away from the patients leading to a possible decrease in the caring competence. Moreover, the subtle resistance among nurses toward participation in organized moral stress support may obstruct the development of nurses' caring competence. Accordingly, imbalance, due to moral stress, between different competences hinders the development of collectively shared caring competence.