Exploring black South African men’s lived experiences of being fathered
- Authors: Rasebitse, Karabo
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Fatherhood South Africa , Fathers and sons South Africa Psychological aspects , Masculinity Social aspects South Africa , Hegemony South Africa , Social constructionism South Africa , Culture , Men, Black Attitudes South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294504 , vital:57227
- Description: There is a lack of research studies in South Africa that explore young men’s lived experiences of being fathered. The aim of this study focused on exploring how Black South African men construct and understand their own lived experiences of being fathered by their biological father. This research study is situated within a social constructionism methodology and theoretical framework. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with young men between the ages of 18-24. Data were analysed using thematic analysis as a way of analysing participants’ stories. Three central themes with subthemes emerged. The main themes regarded the father behaviour, fatherly roles and participants’ constructions of fatherhood. The study argues that fatherhood is a social construct based on participants’ lived experiences. Participants in this research still view fatherhood from cultural discourses, such as the provider/protector and a moral guider/role to construct fatherhood. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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Relevant knowledge: content analysis of research conducted by South African psychology masters students (2008-2012
- Authors: Whitehead, Tracey
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Psychology -- Research -- South Africa , Psychology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Psychology students -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/167683 , vital:41503
- Description: In South Africa, Psychology has had a chequered past mainly due to its role in the justification of apartheid policies. Due to apartheid's socio-economic injustices, confidence in the applicability of psychological knowledge to South Africa's social problems was insufficient. Psychologists attempted to raise consciousness of the social relevance of psychology by contributing relevant knowledge and being reactive to social inequalities and related psychosocial issues affecting South Africa. This study aimed to conduct a content analysis of trends in research produced by Psychology Masters' students in the fields of Clinical, Counselling and Research psychology over a period of 5 years (2008-2012). The corpus of data was then compared with the key issues raised in the United Nations Development Programme's South Africa human development report (2003), along with a focus on articles published by Macleod (2004) and Macleod and Howell (2013). It emerged that Empirical Qualitative studies, based on post-modern frameworks, as well as HIV/AIDS, Knowledge Production, Assessment and Measurement and Programme development and evaluation, dominated psychological research. Participants were mainly urban, middle class adults living in the 3 wealthiest provinces. University students were the most popular participant group. While it is encouraging that students were attempting to engage with psychosocial issues, the limited number of key social issues addressed, the under-representation of certain sectors of the South African population, as well as the impact of socioeconomic status on well-being requires greater attention at Masters' level to ensure Psychology's psychosocial relevance.
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Exploring Lay people’s understanding of substance abuse
- Authors: Ranase, Asanda
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Substance abuse -- South Africa , Substance abuse -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Psychology -- Qualitative research -- South Africa , Social constructionism -- South Africa , Lay analysis (Psychoanalysis) -- South Africa , Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders , Dependency (Psychology) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/114881 , vital:34046
- Description: South Africa has been identified as one of the drug centres of the world (UNODC, 2016). Substance abuse has been implicated in violent crimes and accidental deaths, as well as in the increasing the risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases (Harker Burnhams & Parry, 2015; Pasche & Myers, 2012; van Heerden et al., 2009). Even though substance abuse is evidently a challenge facing South Africa, there is currently a paucity of literature exploring how substance abuse is understood, specifically among lay people. Research indicates that there is a clear need for qualitative inquiry on lay people’s understanding of substance abuse (Keatley et al, 2017; Lang & Rosenberg, 2017; Sorsdahl et al., 2012 ). Available South African research in this area centres on trends, attitudes and perceptions of substance abuse (Sorsdahl, Stein, & Myers, 2012). Previous studies indicate that professionals often define substance abuse according to observable indicators, as well as the type of substance used (APA, 2013). Research shows that lay people tend to lean towards moral models of understanding, in contrast to professionals who align with the medical models. Located within social constructionism, this study provides insight into how the understanding of substance abuse is shaped by society (Gergen & Gergen, 1996). This study aims to explore how lay people understand substance abuse and use, and whether this understanding confirms or contradicts that of professionals/DSM. The study made use of an exploratory research design. The sampling procedures used was a combination of purposive and snowball sampling. A total of 50 participants were recruited and twelve focus groups were conducted. The information was analysed using thematic analysis. Six themes emerged: severity of substance abuse; use, abuse and dependence; functionality; loss of control; gateway substance use and experimenting; and mental health literacy. The findings of this study indicate that lay peoples’ understanding of substance abuse centres on the impact that substance use and abuse have on peoples’ lives. Further suggested by the findings is that, lay people often associate poor interpersonal relationships, functionality or lack thereof and loss of control with substance abuse problems. This view is consistent with that of professionals and the DSM5 (APA, 2013). The findings of this research indicate that there are similarities in the views of lay people and those of professionals regarding substance abuse problems.
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Exploring multiple dimensions of identiy development in black South African adolescents
- Authors: Buso, Masimbulele
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Identity (Psychology) , Adolescent psychology -- South Africa , Identity (Psychology) in adolescence -- South Africa , Teenagers, Black -- Psychology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96702 , vital:31310
- Description: South Africa, just like most African countries, is a country rich in social, political and economic history due to colonisation, specifically the apartheid system. The current socio-political and economic climate of the country is said to influence the process of identity development and formation during adolescence. Therefore, the main aim of the study was to explore the various identities that black adolescents are exploring given the context of the country. Additionally, the aim of this research was to explore the methods in which adolescents utilise to develop their identity and the challenges encountered during this process. The study made use of three data collection methods; a Short Reflective exercise, a Nominal Group Technique and Focus Groups. Data was analysed using thematic analysis to generate main themes and sub themes. The main themes discussed in this study revealed that adolescents experiences multiple aspects of their identity, which exist in a complex interwoven system influenced by both external and internal factors. The main challenge was the difficulty in integrating the dominant westernised/individualistic ideology with the collectivistic ideology that adolescents are raised according to. Overall, the study indicated that the majority of the participants had a positive self-concept and a positive outlook with regards to their future. Recommendations emphasise the need for further research that would be based on the South African context to further explore black identity and to gain contextual information that can be used to combat some of the social issues that the South African youth is challenged with.
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The experience of recovering from a substance use disorder
- Authors: van der Schyff, Brett Carl
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4016 , vital:20585
- Description: Substance use disorder is an intricate societal phenomenon resulting from psychological and physiological dependence. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of individuals recovering from a substance use disorder. An interpretive phenomenological method was used to elicit the fundamentals of recovery as experienced by the participants. Random purposeful sampling was used and guaranteed that appropriate participants were selected. Data was collected through the use of semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews with four individuals. The collected data was then processed according to the three interpretive phenomenological principles namely, phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography. Analysis was thereafter conducted using five steps, which led to two main themes emerged. The two thematic categories that emerged were (1) the ex-users’ experiences of using substances and (2) experiences of recovering from a substance use disorder. Within the first thematic category two sub-themes developed which included: reasons for using substances, and when substance use became a dependency. The sub-themes that emerged in the second thematic category included: initiating recovery, recovery and treatment models, post-treatment, risk factors in recovery and supportive and protective factors in recovery.
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Psychodynamic case formulations : reflections of a neophyte therapist's experiences of how developing and using a psychodynamic formulation may have influenced treatment?
- Authors: Tebbutt, Hayley Lynne
- Date: 2013 , 2013-11-04
- Subjects: Psychodynamic psychotherapy Psychiatry -- Case formulation Eating disorders
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3133 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006812
- Description: Although it is generally acknowledged and accepted that case formulations are useful in psychotherapy treatment, there is significantly little research illustrating how case formulations are useful in treatment. Research also suggests that case formulations are seldom used in practice after initial training (Eells, 1997; Sim, Gwee, & Bateman, 2005). This research was premised on a particular case study which appeared to highlight shifts in psychotherapy treatment in the sessions directly after the writing or revising of the case formulation, thus prompting the inquiry into the influence of the case formulation on therapeutic work. The research utilised a qualitative methodology and focused on a single case which was a 19 year old university student who expressed a problem with binge eating. The data was drawn from five original and revised case formulations. The participant was seen for 27 therapy sessions, over which time five case formulations were developed and revised. The findings in this study highlight the process of how a psychodynamic case formulation can influence therapeutic work, as reflected in three broad themes of adherence to the case formulation, the confidence of the therapist, and using the formulation as an intervention. The study contributes to arguments for the revival of the case formulation as a necessary therapeutic tool. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
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