This research study is based on investigating the conflicts between the Church Associations (also called This research study is based on investigating the conflicts between the Church Associations (also called iimanyano) of the UPCSA. These associations are essentially a group of people who gather together to achieve certain aims and objectives in serving God within the Church.anyano) of the UPCSA. These associations are essentially a group of people who gather together to achieve certain aims and objectives in serving God within the Church. The iimanyano are normally identified by means of a specific uniform, even though the UPCSA (as with the reformed Church tradition) does not generally wear a uniform. The uniform of the iimanyano therefore does not have any specific origin. However, Chapter One of this study traces the purpose of the iimanyano in that it was formed to evangelise and reach out to black people within a cultural ethos. The research embarks on narrative, qualitative interviews and follows a participatory approach in discovering the problems that led to the iimanyano deviating from their original focus. In Chapter Two, the amalgamation of The Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of South Africa in 1999 is discussed. (The emerging of these two Churches formed the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.) The process of joining the iimanyano of the two former (PCSA and RPCSA) Churches resulted in dissatisfaction and caused several grievances. These tensions of the iiimanyano are a threat to the union of the UPCSA. The study investigates through narrative research why the problems still persist. In Chapter Three, the narratives of the co-researchers in the context of the Presbytery of Tshwane are presented. These helped to identify certain experiences that the remaining iimanyano in the UPCSA denomination still encounter. It is further indicated that some underlining issues may have been rushed or underestimated by the Special Commission on Union. An interesting observation is that the tension is mostly referred to by the black members of the former two churches. Furthermore, some members are suspicious of any outside influence perpetuating the problem. In Chapter Four the struggles within the body of Christ whereby the uniform issue among the women is discussed. In Chapter Five, a narrative reflection on the research findings and recommendations to the associations of the UPCSA are given. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

For now several years, many researchers have emphasized the importance and effectiveness of parole in the reintegration process of offenders, especially in reducing recidivism rates. A review of the existing literature revealed that, although little was known about conditional release decision-making in general, there was a flagrant lack of scientific knowledge pertaining to conditional release decisions regarding women offenders incarcerated in Canada. Using a constructionist theoretical framework and qualitative thematic analysis, this research aimed to understand which “factors” were documented by the Parole Board of Canada’s (PBC) Board members in their written parole decisions for federally incarcerated women in Canada who were serving a sentence of five years or more, between 2005 and 2015. The findings ultimately showed that, despite the implementation of more stringent government policies based on risk management, the PBC’s Board members seem to have retained their concern of promoting the reintegration of women offenders in their parole decisions. The analysis revealed that the Board members have indeed continued to place great emphasis on the women’s potential for change through a discretionary assessment of their dynamic factors. This seemingly more reintegrative vision nevertheless remains marked by the risk management approach, which raises questions about the way Board members interpret and evaluate the specific needs of the women and their potential for reintegration.

This research narrative represents a co-construction of domestic violence focusing on the male victim. The narrative’s main aim is to contribute to the body of work that seeks to ensure that the invisible male victims of domestic violence have a voice, and that they are counted. Little research has been undertaken to voice the experiences of male domestic violence victims. Domestic violence is constructed using a social constructionist perspective and Tom’s narrative is elicited and analysed by means of narrative methodology. Tom is a citizen of the United States of America and due to his geographical location a face-to-face interview was not possible. The best means to collect his narrative was through electronic mail (email) which granted Tom and the researcher the opportunity to reflect upon the research process as it unfolded. The research narrative found some similarities between Tom’s experiences and those noted in other published research narratives. Some of these similarities included the minimal extent of physical injuries to Tom, the more prevalent occurrence of psychological abuse and the use of institutional measures to control his behaviour. In contrast to the literature reviewed, Tom reported that his ex-wife was hurt more often during her violent outbursts. It is recommended that future research includes as many members of the affected family as possible in order to ensure a rich and diverse narrative. In addition, it is suggested that similar research be conducted in a sensitive way and over a short period. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Psychology / unrestricted

Public officials at the state level currently are called upon to create, evaluate, and implement policies that assess the effectiveness of teacher performance and hold teachers accountable for student achievement. Therefore, understanding the social construction of the teaching profession among those public officials is crucial to understanding the impact of the policy agenda on the work of teachers as well as being essential to exercising influence on the policy process itself. This study was an analysis of legislation regarding teacher accountability in an effort to provide insight into how the Florida State Legislature socially constructs the teaching profession. This study used a qualitative methodology to place teachers, as a group, in Schneider and Ingram’s (1993) typology of target populations and made use of historical analysis to trace the changes that have occurred in the social construction of teachers during the period from 1984-2015. In doing so, it found teachers are negatively constructed with a positive power component, correspondingly labeled contenders, on Schneider and Ingram’s typology. Ultimately, the effect of the pressures placed upon teachers has been to create projections of ongoing teacher shortages and to discourage potential candidates from pursuing the profession. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study explored the social construction of black male Zimbabwean refugees’ identities as they experienced becoming refugees living in South Africa. A review of refugee literature revealed that Zimbabwean refugees demonstrate an exceptional nature that sets them apart from what most definitions of refugees assume. Refugee theory focusing on deficits and disorder promoted a view of refugees as helpless victims. As a result, refugees have come to be viewed as state burdens. Immigration practices characterized by the herding of refugees into spatially segregated areas, deportation and neglect continue to endanger the livelihoods of refugees. The manner in which government and media conceptualise the identity of a refugee has significant consequences for foreigners and locals. It is therefore important to explore the social construction of black male Zimbabwean refugees’ identities by investigating their own experiences through the telling of life stories. A process of in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with four black male Zimbabwean refugees between the ages of 18 and 50, all currently living in South Africa. A self told life story outlined a narrative of their past migration, present circumstances and future deliberations. Results showed that participants bore great suffering in search of a stable existence. They were subjected to political abuse and an immense economic downfall in Zimbabwe, and experienced a great shock of self-confidence upon leaving their home. They came to bear a painful sense of ‘otherness’ living as a foreigner, and had to develop new understandings of themselves. Race and religion became important signifiers of identity, and participants were said to undergo a posttraumatic growth in the aftermath of their turbulent experiences. A study such as this offers valuable insights into the aspects of a Zimbabwean refugee’s existence and needs. Research may also inform bureaucratic practices as to conceptualising more appropriate refugee relations in the future, as well as media campaigns capable of rehabilitating the image of the refugee. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Psychology / unrestricted

Fastställande av moderskap är i svensk rätt oreglerat med hänvisning till den latinska mater-est-regeln vilken menar att den som föder barnet är barnets moder. Utvecklingen av reproduktionsteknologi har möjliggjort metoder som utmanar denna princip, däribland surrogatarrangemang. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka på vilket sätt surrogatarrangemang och dess mest centrala parter konstrueras i Statens offentliga utredningar. Genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys har tre av Statens offentliga utredningar granskats för att, med ett socialkonstruktionistisk teoretiskt perspektiv, undersöka hur surrogatarrangemang, surrogatmodern, barnet samt de tilltänkta föräldrarna konstruerats. Begreppen kategorisering och diskurs har använts som analytiska hjälpmedel. Resultaten påvisar tre diskursiva mönster i Statens offentliga utredningar; den ekonomiska diskursen, diskursiva mönster kring normer och värderingar samt sårbarhetsdiskursen. I den ekonomiska diskursen konstrueras surrogatarrangemanget som ett handelsavtal och dess parter som producent, handelsvara och konsument. I diskursiva mönster kring normer och värderingar konstrueras bland annat de tilltänkta föräldrarna som oansvariga och surrogatmodern som en oförmögen beslutsfattare. I sårbarhetsdiskursen konstrueras surrogatarrangemanget och samtliga parter som sårbara. Den avslutande diskussionen lyfter bland annat hur denna studie bidragit med ny kunskap om konstruktioner av surrogatarrangemang i svensk statlig kontext. Vidare lyfter den avslutande diskussionen att lagstiftaren står inför dilemmat att dels motverka surrogatarrangemang, dels beakta barnets bästa i de fall där barn kommit till världen via ett sådant arrangemang.

Given the use of a social constructionism approach, the emphasis within the research is to include the listener in the on-going conversation when considering expropriation and the construction of identity around that experience. The question of how the experience of expropriation contributes to the construction of meaning and identity for the Zimbabwean farmer is posed. Gergen (1994) emphasised that identity is not an entity that is possessed by the individual nor a product of an individual’s cognitive processes; rather it is a possession of social interchange and relationships in a given context. The “self” or identity is “a linguistic implement embedded within conversational sequences of action and employed in relationships in such a way as to sustain, enhance or impede various forms of action” (Gergen, 1994, p.188). This particular story from farming to eviction offers the reader a unique look into the construction of reality by Zimbabwean farmers as well as an opportunity to examine the fluidity of identity as it is constructed around agreed meaning or conversations and context. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Psychology / unrestricted

This study aims to examine how teachers in upper secondary non-compulsory schools in Sweden, didactically approaches and teach religion with a focus on religion and science as mentioned in the curriculum. Since the Swedish school education system is non-confessional, a further aim is to explore how this affects the teachers' teaching and didactic for the subject of religion. The result is based on findings from interviews with eight upper secondary school teachers. The teachers are employed in different regions in Sweden with teaching experience ranging from two to twenty years. The interviews were conducted using digital communications programs, such as Zoom and Google meet, these interviews followed a semi-structured approach allowing the respondent to freely express themselves. The applied theoretical and analytical framework is social constructivism.  According to the findings, teachers agree that Swedish society is influenced by a secularistic world view, which through students is expressed by a lack of understanding of religion. The didactic approaches vary from teacher to teacher, however, they highly value the non-confessional education system and the opportunities of unbiased education it provides.

In this research process, my objectives were as follows; firstly, to explore the relationship between identity formation and poverty and secondly to explore the role of the church in combating the effects of poverty in the lives of those who live in poverty stricken communities. A Narrative approach was used to gather data from the community. I listened to the stories of those people who live in poverty. Seven movements were used as the methodology for this research (Muller 2005:81-86). As a practical theologian, I positioned myself within postfoundationalist theology. In this position I avoided foundation epistemology which seeks the absolute truth as well as anti or nonfoundational epistemology which promotes relativism. As I mentioned earlier postfoundationalist practical theology is always thinking in a specific context and can also go beyond that specific context into interdisciplinary thinking. Starting from a specific context into an interdisciplinary context, we found that the concept of poverty has been described as a discourse meaning that it went from poverty as a lack of resources into linguistic, poverty as lack of capabilities or poverty being political. By taking multidimension method to eradicate poverty one needs to apply a multidimensions approach. The stories from Nellmapius affirmed that poverty influences identity formation. The following effects were identified: low self-esteem, stress, depression, lack of self-acceptance and hopelessness. The church has the capacity as the biggest membership and with the most awareness organization in most communities that has the attention of many people. The church is able to preach hope for people in what seems to be hopelessness and encourage the poor to rise out of their poverty. It can facilitate the poor and the government to work together to change their lives. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Single session therapy (SST) is a form of psychotherapy that has been researched and practiced internationally since the 1980s. More recently it has been widely employed from the therapeutic modality of narrative therapy - more commonly known as brief narrative single session therapy. Narrative therapy - an internationally practiced psychotherapy in its own right - operates from a blending of social constructionist and Foucauldian/poststructural theory where therapists support clients to co-construct preferred identities amidst powerful discourses which constrain this process. While the co-construction of client-preferred identity is multilayered, studies within this field have historically leaned on social constructionist explanations of how this process occurs at the expense of the Foucauldian/poststructural perspective. This study blends these two perspectives, both conceptually and methodologically, to understand how client-preferred identity co-construction occurs in brief narrative single session therapy. From the social constructionist perspective, the preferred identity that narrative therapy seeks to foreground is viewed as something that is constructed within the session between the client and therapist rather than something that is fully formed prior to the session’s start. Yet, from the Foucauldian/poststructural perspective this process also occurs within the culturally available discourses that are afforded to us. To highlight both perspectives I conducted a hybrid discourse analysis that included a macro-focused Foucauldian discourse analysis and a micro-focused element of discursive psychology, on five appointment-based sessions of brief narrative single session therapy. Immediately following the recording of each session clients and therapists filled out separate post-session questionnaires to share their impressions and experiences of these single sessions. The results of this study present rich examples of how working practitioners trained in brief narrative single session therapy support clients in the co-construction of preferred identities in the context of constraining cultural discourses. In addition, alternative discourses that supported the work of client-preferred identity co-construction based within these sessions, and found within the fields of narrative therapy and the brief therapy movement, were identified. Comments from participant post-session questionnaires offer supplementary perspectives that add greater context to the findings from my analysis of sessions. Implications for the training, practice, and study of brief narrative single session therapy are discussed.