Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-173).

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-125).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-125) Also available in print.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (MNutr)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: Eating disorders are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in adolescent and young adult women. There is some evidence that Eating disorders may be more common in Jewish females than in their non-Jewish counterparts. Individuals with abnormal attitudes as defined by the Eating Attitudes Test (26-Item version) (EAT-26) are at increased risk of developing an eating disorder. School teachers are required to take an active role in the currently favoured ecological approach to the prevention of eating disorders. Objectives: The current study sought to determine the prevalence of abnormal eating attitudes and weight loss behaviours in a Jewish female adolescent sample and to investigate school teachers’ awareness of these factors and their attitudes towards a school programme to address these. Methods: A cross-sectional study of girls in grades 8 to 11 and teachers of both genders was undertaken at a “traditional” Jewish high school in Johannesburg, South Africa. A questionnaire consisting of the EAT-26 and a modified section of the United States Youth Risk Behaviour Survey (YRBS) was completed by pupils. A questionnaire developed by the researcher for the study was completed by teachers. Results: Two hundred and twenty pupils (response rate 84.3%) and 38 teachers (52.1%) participated. Twenty percent of pupils (n=43) had EAT-26 scores greater than or equal to 20 and 30.2% were found to require clinical evaluation for a potential eating disorder Thirty two point seven percent (n=72) of girls considered themselves to be overweight. Sixty four percent (n=139) were trying to lose weight at the time of the study and 19.1% (n=42) had engaged in one or more extreme methods of weight loss (fasting, purging or non-prescribed medication) in the past 12 months. Most teachers (81.6%, n=29) underestimated the proportion of girls requiring clinical evaluation and 71.1% (n=27) underestimated the extent of current weight loss attempts. Almost all (97.3%, n=37) the teachers recognised the need to address disordered eating attitudes and patterns in the school but only 34.2% (n=13) viewed the school as the appropriate place, would be prepared to participate and would give up class time. Conclusions: This is the first study to document the presence of abnormal eating attitudes among Jewish adolescent females in South Africa. The prevalence fell within the upper end of the range of rates reported in studies of adolescent girls in South Africa and abroad. Dieting and attempts at weight loss are common in this population and are also in keeping with the findings from international studies. This is the first study to measure teachers’ awareness of the eating attitudes and weight loss behaviours of girls attending the school at which they teach. The teachers participating in this study were not fully aware of the extent to which eating-related issues affect female pupils. Over and above this, there appears to be a resistance to facilitating and participating in a school programme addressing these issues. A qualitative exploration of this could yield valuable insights. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: Eetstoornisse is 'n belangrike oorsaak van morbiditeit en mortaliteit in adolessente en jong volwasse vroue. Daar is bewyse dat Eetstoornisse meer algemeen mag voorkom in Joodse vroue vergeleke met hul nie-Joodse eweknieë. Individue met 'n abnormale houding soos gedefinieer deur die Eet-Houding-Toets (“Eating Attitudes Test”) (26-punt weergawe) (EAT-26) het 'n verhoogde risiko om 'n eetstoornis te ontwikkel. Daar word van onderwysers verwag om 'n aktiewe rol te speel in die ekologiese benadering om eetstoornisse te voorkom, wat tans voorkeur geniet. Doelstellings: Die huidige studie het gepoog om die voorkoms van abnormale houding en gedrag ten opsigte van eet en gewigsverlies in 'n steekproef van Joodse vroulike adolessente te bepaal, asook om ondersoek in te stel of onderwysers bewus is van hierdie faktore en hul houding teenoor 'n skoolprogram wat dit aanspreek. Metodes: 'n Dwarssnit studie van meisies in graad 8 tot 11 en onderwysers van beide geslagte was uitgevoer by 'n "tradisionele" Joodse hoërskool in Johannesburg, Suid-Afrika. 'n Vraelys bestaande uit die EAT-26 en 'n aangepasde afdeling van die “United States Youth Risk Behaviour Survey (YRBS)” is voltooi deur studente. Onderwysers het 'n vraelys voltooi wat vir die studie ontwikkel is deur die navorser. Resultate: Tweehonderd-en-twintig leerlinge (responskoers 84.3%) en 38 onderwysers (52.1%) het deelgeneem. Twintig persent van leerlinge (n=43) het EAT-26 tellings groter as of gelyk aan 20 gehad en daar was bevind dat 30.2% kliniese evaluering vir 'n potensiële eetstoornis benodig. Twee-en-dertig punt sewe persent (n=72) van meisies het hulself as oorgewig beskou. Vier-ensestig persent (n=139) het probeer om gewig te verloor ten tye van die studie en 19.1% (n=42) het betrokke geraak by een of meer ekstreme metodes van gewigsverlies (vas, purgasie of nievoorskrif medikasie) in die afgelope 12 maande. Meeste onderwysers (81.6%, n=29) onderskat die proporsie van meisies wat kliniese evaluasie benodig en 71.1% (n=27) onderskat die omvang van huidige gewigsverlies-pogings. Byna alle (97.3%, n=37) onderwysers het die behoefte erken dat versteurde houdings en eetpatrone aangespreek moet word, maar slegs 34,2% (n=13) beskou die skool as die geskikte plek daarvoor en sal bereid wees om deel te neem en klastyd af te staan. Gevolgtrekkings: Die teenwoordigheid van abnormale houding teenoor eet onder Joodse vroulike adolessente in Suid-Afrika word vir die eerste keer in hierdie studie gedokumenteer. Die prevalensie val binne die boonste deel van die reikwydte van koerse wat gerapporteer is in studies oor adolessente meisies in Suid-Afrika en die buiteland. Dieet en pogings tot gewigsverlies is algemeen in hierdie populasie en stem ook ooreen met die bevindinge van internasionale studies. Dit is die eerste studie wat onderwysers se bewustheid meet ten opsigte van die eethoudings en gewigsverlies-gedrag van meisies wat skool bywoon waar hul onderrig gee. Die onderwysers wat deelgeneem het aan hierdie studie was nie ten volle bewus van die mate waartoe eet-verwante kwessies vroulike leerlinge affekteer nie. Boonop blyk daar weerstand te wees teenoor die fasilitering van, en deelname aan 'n skoolprogram wat hierdie kwessies aanspreek. Verdere kwalitatiewe ondersoeke hiervan kan moontlik waardevolle insig bied.

No description available.

This study is an investigation of responses of four adolescent girls to the characters in two adolescent novels: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor; and Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson. The novels were chosen because the main characters are strong, independent young females, whose various struggles could provide a medium for a discussion of the needs, preoccupations, and aspirations of the girls in the study. The approach to the series of book discussions was based on Louise Rosenblatt’s conceptions of literature as human experience and a medium for exploration. The research was further informed by multiple perspectives on reader response theory as presented by Richard Beach, and by the work of Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule on the various ways women approach learning. Although response begins as an individual activity, a primary focus of the study was an investigation of responses shared in a group setting. The study is a contribution to the efforts of educators and others concerned with the enhancement of women’s confidence by a validation of their experiences, and through demonstrations of social constructions of meaning. / Ph. D.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Arguing from a social constructionist perspective and using a qualitative methodology the aim of the present study was to explore different dimensions of gender amongst a group of adolescent girls between the ages of 14 and 18 years living in Rustenburg, South Africa. More specifically it explores and describes the following aspects of gender amongst these girls: (a) how young adolescent girls living in Rustenburg perceive gender roles in general and how they perceive their own roles in particular (b) their gender relations with other adolescents and (c) their views on and expectations of the future as women. The rationale for selecting Rustenburg as the geographical area of research is due to its semi-rural location. While rural communities are generally perceived to be more conservative than urban areas they do not escape modernizing influences such as the mass media. An underlying theme of the present study is thus to ascertain whether or not the girls in Rustenburg still have relatively conservative perceptions regarding gender. The fmdings of the present study reveal that the participants have broken away from conforming to traditional roles assigned to women and would like to combine new modem roles with existing traditional roles. It is also clear that the mass media has a considerable influence in this regard. According to the respondents society values .a woman that can succeed in being a good mother, wife and home-keeper as well as being a career woman. Most of the participants want to fulfil these multiple roles. The advantages of being career women, according to these participants, are that such women are independent and fmancially self-reliant. Regarding gender relations, friendships with girls and boys are of equal importance to the respondents. On the one hand sufficient common ground exists to interact comfortably with boys, while on the other hand interacting with boys is seen as useful in obtaining insight into the life world of boys. However, a general opinion held by the girls is that they feel more comfortable to discuss more personal and intimate topics with their girl friends. Relationships with younger girls and factors influencing popularity among girls were also explored as themes. Future expectations that are shared by participants are that they would like to complete their school education and attend a technikon or university to further their education. Their future career expectations cover a wide range of occupational choices. Most of the participants want to get married in future - the ages varying between 25 and 30. They would also like to have children but only once they have established a good career. Their main concerns for the future are whether or not there will be job opportunities for them in the careers that they want to pursue. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die volgende aspekte van 'n veelrassige groep adolessente meisies in Rustenburg se opvattings m.b.t. gender: (a) hul opvattings oor genderrolle in die algemeen en hul eie rolle in besonder; (b) hul genderverhoudings met ander adolessente; en (c) hul sienings oor en verwagtings van die toekoms. Die studie is gegrond in 'n sosiaal-konstruksionistiese perspektief en het gebruik gemaak van 'n kwalitatiewe metodologie. Indiwiduele onderhoude sowel as fokusgroepsessies is onderneem met 10 meisies tussen die ouderdomme van 14 en 18 jaar. Rustenburg is as geografiese area gekies weens die semi-landelike aard van die gemeenskap. Alhoewel landelike gemeenskappe dikwels as meer konservatief beskou word as stedelike areas spring hul nie moderniserende invloede soos die massamedia vry nie. 'n Onderliggende tema van die studie was dus on te bepaal of die meisies in Rustenburg not steeds relatief konserwatiewe genderopvattings het. Die studie het bevind dat respondente nie meer volledig konformeeraan tradisionele rolle wat aan vroue toegeskryf word nie en graag nuwe moderne rolle wil kombineer met bestaande tradisionele rolle. Dit is ook duidelik dat die massamedia 'n groot invloed het in hierdie verband. Volgens die respondente word 'n vrou wat suksesvol is as goeie moeder, eggenoot en tuisteskepper sowel in 'n loopbaan hoog gewaardeer. Die meerderheid van die respondente wil hierdie meervoudige rolle vervul. Volgens die respondente is die voordeel van 'n loopbaan vir vroue daarin geleë dat hulle onafhanklik en fmansieël selfonderhoudend kan wees. Met betrekking tot genderverhoudings is bevind dat vriendskappe met meisies en seuns ewe belangrik is vir die respondent. Aan die een kant bestaan daar voldoende gemeenskaplike belangstellings om gemaklik met seuns te kommunikeer, terwyl interaksie met seuns aan die ander kant ook nuttige insigte bide in die leefwêreld van seuns. Die algemene mening van die meisies is egter dat hul meer op hul gemak voel om persoonlike en intieme sake met hul meisievriende te bespreek. Daar is ook ondersoek ingestel na die verhoudings met jonger meisises sowel as faktore wat die gewildheid van meisies bepaal. 'n Gemeenskaplike toekomsverwagting van die respondente is dat hulle hul skoolopleiding wil voltooi en daarna tersiêre opleiding aan 'n universiteit of technikon wilondergaan. Hulle het egter uiteenlopende loopbaanverwagtings. Die meerderheid wil in die toekoms in die huwelik tree - met ouderdomme wat wissel tussen 25 en 30. Hulle wilook kinders hê, maar slegs nadat hul gevestig is in 'n goeie loopbaan. 'n Belangrike besorgdheid oor die toekoms is egter of daar voldoende werksgeleenthede sal wees in die loopbane wat hul wil volg.

This study centered on adolescent self-mutilation as well as possible forms of support and prevention. The information was gathered by assessing the needs of the adolescent girls who self-mutilate by means of semi-structured interviews. In these interviews the adolescent girls expressed their experiences of self-mutilation and their emotional needs. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the needs of adolescent girls who self-mutilate in order to develop guidelines of support so that parents may feel less helpless and overwhelmed. The findings of the study indicated that there are various reasons why an adolescent would engage in selfmutilation, that it serves a function in the adolescents’ lives and surfaces at times of emotional crisis. This study found further that a lack of problem-solving skills, coping abilities and social skills could play a role in whether an adolescent chooses to self-mutilate. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play therapy)

published_or_final_version / English Studies / Master / Master of Arts