Dr. Christiaan Neethling Barnard (Barnard) was a world renowned surgeon who made medical history when he performed the world’s first human heart transplant. Barnard was celebrated by some for his courage and contribution in advancing the field of cardiothoracic surgery, while others believed that the technique of human heart transplantation was not his own. Barnard became known for his controversial lifestyle, and acquired a reputation as a playboy. He died in 2001 at the age of 78, following an asthma attack. The aim of the current study was to explore and describe the personality development of Barnard, by applying Alfred Adler’s theory of Individual Psychology to the context of his lived life. The study used a single case study research design, and purposive sampling was used to select the subject. This selection was made on the basis of the researcher’s interest in Barnard’s life history and his immense contribution to medical science. Data sampled was qualitative, and was collected from primary and secondary data sources. Collected data was analysed in accordance with Alexander’s model of data analysis. The findings of the study indicated that Barnard’s life was in many respects aligned with Adler’s theory and that his striving for significance was largely influenced by his social environment as well as the cultural context in which he lived.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nmmu/vital:24310 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Lekhelebana, Vuyokazi |
| Publisher | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Faculty of Health Sciences |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MA |
| Format | xiii, 105 leaves, pdf |
| Rights | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
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