Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An increasing number of children in South Africa are deprived of adequate
parental care. Factors exacerbating the situation are the deaths of parents due
to HIV/AIDS and contextual stressors like poverty and violence. Children
removed from family care in accordance with stipulations of the Act on Child
Care, were all exposed to factors of inadequate care like a lack of basic means
of existence and/or physical, emotional or spiritual neglect or sexual abuse.
The current thesis tried to determine to what extend these factors influence the
social development of children.
Theories of psychosocial development have shown that optimal social
development starts with securing a strong positive and reciprocal emotional
bond with the primary caregiver. This is the basis of personal security and
interpersonal trust upon which further developmental elements like a positive
self image, autonomy, pro-social behaviour, emotional well-being, moral values,
the ability to find solutions to problems, self control and expectations about the
future, will be based.
Schema theory has confirmed the importance of positive developmental
experiences in establishing positive expectations about social interaction.
Negative developmental experiences will lead to dysfunctional schemas and
selective processing of information. This will negatively influence emotional
well-being, the ability to solve interpersonal problems and realistically assessing
the self and others. Dysfunctional interpersonal patterns, inappropriate social
behaviour and a less positive expectation of the future, will follow.
Patterns of parental care are still important in adolescence and influence body
image, sexual identity, academic achievement, career aspirations, values,
autonomy and emotional well-being. Negative patterns of parenting, like
loveless over-control and child abuse, lead to dysfunctional interpersonal
expectations. Residential care increases the risk of diffused bonding, unless
sufficient preventive measures are put in place. In the current thesis ten elements of interpersonal schemas were identified
according to the above theories. Statistical comparisons of the elements were
done using two groups of adolescents. Adolescents in the first group were
removed from parental care in accordance with the Act on Child Care, while
adolescents in the second group experienced continuous and adequate
parental care.
The results supported all of the hyphotheses, with a measure of ambivalence
about autonomy. Psychosocial history was proved to be a measurable
discriminating factor in adolescent interpersonal schemas. Sex proved to be a
further discriminating factor in some elements. Girls were influenced most by
the presence or lack of family security.
In a second section, current programmes for social empowerment in use in
children's homes, were evaluated according to the above results. Indications
were given about possible adaptations and additions to therapeutic and skills
programmes, the role of substitute families and character traits of staff that may
help in limiting the risks of residential care. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Toenemende getal kinders in Suid-Afrika ontbeer deurlopende en
toereikende gesinsorg. Faktore wat hiertoe bydra, is ouersterftes weens
MIVNIGS en kontekstuele stressors soos armoede en geweld. Kinders wat uit
gesinsorg verwyder word weens die bepalings van die Wet op Kindersorg, was
almal blootgestel aan faktore van ontoereikende sorg soos gebrekkige
bestaansmiddele en/of fisieke, emosionele of geestelike verwaarlosing of
seksuele misbruik. Hierdie proefskrif het probeer vasstel in watter mate dié
faktore die sosiale ontwikkeling van kinders beïnvloed.
Teorieë omtrent psigososiale ontwikkeling toon aan dat optimale sosiale
ontwikkeling begin by die vestiging van 'n sterk positiewe en wederkerige
emosionele band met 'n primêre bindingsfiguur. Dit vorm die basis van
persoonlike sekuriteit en interpersoonlike vertroue, waarop
ontwikkelingselemente soos 'n positiewe selfsiening, outonomie, pro-sosialiteit,
emosionele welstand, morele waardes, probleemoplossingsvaardighede,
selfbeheer en toekomsverwagting gebaseer is.
Skema-teorie bevestig die belang van positiewe ontwikkelings-ervarings in die
daarstel van positiewe verwagtings omtrent sosiale interaksie. Negatiewe
ontwikkelings-ervarings lei tot disfunksionele skemas, waarin inligting selektief
verwerk word. Dit het 'n negatiewe uitwerking op emosionele welstand, die
vaardigheid om interpersoonlike probleme op te los en realisties oor die self en
ander te oordeel. Die gevolg is patrone van interpersoonlike wanaanpassing,
ontoepaslike sosiale optrede en 'n minder positiewe toekomsverwagting.
In adolessensie speelouerskapspatrone steeds 'n rol ten opsigte van
liggaamsbeeld, geslagsidentiteit, akademiese prestasie, beroepsideale,
waardes, outonome optrede en emosionele welstand. Negatiewe
ouerskapspatrone, soos oormatige en liefdelose beheer en kindermishandeling,
lei tot disfunksionele interpersoonlike verwagtings. Residensiële sorg verhoog
die risiko vir diffuse bindingsgedrag, tensy doeltreffende voorsorgmaatreëls
daargestel word. In die proefskrif is tien elemente van interpersoonlike skemas aan die hand van
die teoretiese uiteensetting geïdentifiseer. 'n Statistiese vergelyking ten opsigte
van die elemente is gedoen met twee groepe adolessente. Die eerste groep is
weens wetlike bepalings uit ouersorg verwyder, terwyl die tweede groep
deurlopende en toereikende ouersorg ervaar het.
Die resultate het al die hipoteses ondersteun, met 'n mate van ambivalensie
omtrent outonomie. Psigososiale geskiedenis was dus 'n meetbare
onderskeidingsfaktor ten opsigte van interpersoonlike skemas in adolessensie.
Geslag was 'n verdere meetbare faktor by sommige elemente. Dogters was die
meeste beïnvloed deur die teenwoordigheid van óf gebrek aan gesinsekuriteit.
In 'n tweede afdeling, is die bestaande programme van sosiale bemagtiging in
kinderhuise geëvalueer in die lig van bogenoemde resultate. Aanbevelings is
gedoen oor die aanpassing en uitbouing van terapeutiese en
vaardigheidprogramme, die rol van substituut-gesinne en die eienskappe van
personeel wat kan bydra om die risiko's van inrigtingsorg te verminder.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52794 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | De Wet, Cecilia |
| Contributors | Wait, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 391 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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