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Psychologists’ perceptions of the growth and change promoting factors in psychotherapy within a culturally diverse South Africa
Get PDFThe therapeutic relationship established between a psychologist and a client is considered one of the main factors determining successful psychotherapy outcomes. While this may be the case, there remain inconsistencies in the literature and debate regarding its influence, especially when contextual factors such as diverse beliefs, may influence the therapeutic relationship. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of information focusing on psychologists’ experiences working within the culturally diverse South African context. This study aimed to better understand, from a psychologist’s perspective, the growth and change promoting factors they feel are influencing successful therapeutic outcomes within the South African context. This was pursued recognising that the diverse belief systems in South Africa, which do not always adhere to biomedical conceptualisations of health and illness, may influence the therapeutic interaction. This study explored the following research question: What are the key factors that promote growth and change in individual psychotherapy within the diverse South African context? Drawing on a qualitative approach, an explorative descriptive research design was chosen as it enabled the researcher to explore the perceptions of the participants on the given topic. The sampling technique that was employed was non-probability purposive sampling and psychologists registered with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa formed part of the sample. In-depth online interviewing was employed as the data collection tool, using online platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis guidelines and themes that were identified was reported.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 202
Cyborg bodies and the search for self: an ethnographic exploration of supportive technologies as tools to mitigate daily distresses
Get PDFThis dissertation explores the ways in which individuals embody cyborg realities through engaging with technological aids. It examines how these interactions have the potential to bring to light new ways of thinking about and experiencing daily distresses. Pertinent human technology interaction was observed through an overarching cyborg lens, embedded in posthumanist thought. The study began with a “human as cyborg” ontology that sought to impress upon readers the intimacy with which technology is entangled in our lives. It aimed to call to attention the use of the cyborg myth as it is concerned with “transgressed boundaries, potent fusions, and dangerous possibilities” (Haraway, 1985:7). The study followed a cyber ethnographic strategy, where cyber ethnography refers to a virtual research method that observes social and cultural phenomena that are mediated by online interactions. Data was collected over a period of eight months, beginning in December 2020 and ending in July 2021. It was collected through the following means: a short self-administered online questionnaire, computer mediated in-depth interviews, and group interviews. I also kept a journal on reflections of my own use of these supportive technologies. After analysing the results of in-depth interviews with nine primary participants and twenty-six online questionnaires, the following key themes were brought to light: Firstly, the tethered self, or cyborg self, engages in evolved acts of ‘care of the self’ mitigated through supportive technology use. Secondly, access to new technologies brings about new ways of performing the self. Thirdly, engagement with supportive technologies provides opportunity for aiding distress in the way of encouraging self-reflective and self-interrogation behaviours as seen in mobile health app use. This constant self-interrogation behaviour in turn develops a kind of technological dependency, characterized by escapism and evolved methods of self- soothing. Lastly, exploring the use of technology to aid distress revealed that technologies generate equal opportunities for improved well-being, as they do for a decreased sense of connectedness and security. The research demonstrates that supportive technology use is entangled in the fabric of our everyday lives. Through it we fashion our identities, alleviate distress, evade distress, and discover new causes of distress.Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 202
Portraits
Get PDFDie portfolio bestaan yt reflections op my writing process during die course, my reading, my poetics essay en vier boek resensies.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 202
Fractured flowers
Get PDFThis portfolio contains extracts of my reflective journals that I wrote throughout the course of the year. My poetics essay, four book reviews, community engagement report and my reflection regarding the reader report is also attached.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 202
Reforging Ockham’s Razor: an enquiry into the ontology of parsimony arguments
Get PDFNearly every philosopher in English-speaking world has heard of Ockham’s Razor, which is given in one of two ways, don’t multiply entities beyond necessity and all things being equal choose the simpler explanation. Yet it is unclear from the scholarship whether the use of Ockham’s Razor is justified in science and philosophy. However, if it can be shown to ‘get’ us truth, it would gain an unequivocal justification, as disputes that are continued after the parties to the substantive truth of one or the other are defined as frivolous. Alternative, one may contend that explanation could have other criteria of success. The implication of a direct connection between the razor and truth comes with ontological commitments, namely a commitment to realism (about universals) and philosophical theism. This is contrary to the razor’s use as a tool of nominalism and naturalism. I argue in this thesis there that the only possible non-circular justification for Ockham’s Razor is truth and that therefore certain philosophical positions are excluded from using the razor to animate their positions. There is an additional, second criteria for the success of our inquiry, namely the justification must in some way be consistent with the razor, which means the chosen explanation for the razor, must be simpler than any of its rivals and not have superfluous entities, otherwise our justification would be contrary to the advice of the razor. We are presented with a Scylla and Charybdis type problem, we avoid a circularity on the one hand and on the other we must not contradict the razor itself, these are contrary intellectual impulses. So firstly I will look at disciplines outside philosophy for some initial inspiration. If we could answer this question in a ‘non’ philosophical way, the problem would have solved itself in a way that require little change of practice. If lawyers or scientist can account for the razor properly, there is not really a problem of justification, at least not a philosophical one. Second, I consider the realist and theist positions, namely an argument of Aristotle’s in the Posterior Analytics and part of Aquinas’ On the Divine Simplicity. Further, I consider the work of Ockham as a nominalist. Lastly, I consider modern and contemporary philosophy, in the form of Hume, Quine and Sober (a modern writer on the razor). The aim here is to ‘stress test’ the philosophical resources of the various systems and analyse the results to see if they can produce a non-circular result.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Philosophy, 202
Teachers’ narratives of their experience of teaching Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) -affected children in mainstream schooling
Get PDFThis study considers the experiences of teachers working with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)-affected children in mainstream schooling. FASD refers to a range of conditions in children resulting from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Prevalence rates in South Africa are said to be among the highest in the world. There is a paucity of research on FASD-affected children in the Eastern Cape. This study was thus conducted in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM). Teachers told stories of their experiences of teaching undiagnosed FASD-affected children in mainstream schooling. The stories reveal the quality of life for children in classrooms and socio-contextual influences of their experiences at school, as well as the responsibilisation of teachers in these settings. This qualitative research is situated within a social constructionism paradigm. The social model of disability was utilised as a theoretical framework for this study to represent the systemic barriers against which FASD-affected learner support in the mainstream school can be conceptualised. A sample of five (5) Black female teachers were interviewed. Data gathering was done by conducting telephonic interviews using the single question inducing narrative, known as SQUIN. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted for the purpose of identifying themes within the data collected. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data, viz. narratives of FASD-affected learners, narratives of parental involvement, narratives of the role of teachers and narratives of stakeholder support. This study reveals a significant level of responsibilisation of teachers. Teachers appear to play a bigger role than just being teachers and they positioned themselves as playing a parental role in relation to FASD-affected learners. FASD-affected learners were positioned as “the problem” in the mainstream classroom whereas the environment is a disabling factor to FASD-affected learners. There is a need for a holistic approach in working with FASD-affected learners from all relevant stakeholders. Key recommendations are made for effective inclusion of FASD-affected learners in mainstream schooling. Future research recommendations include repeating this study in a different geographical area, a focus on senior phase learners and/or a more diverse sample. The findings assist in the development of policies of inclusive education in mainstream schooling and supportive strategies to enhance the developmental trajectory of FASD-affected children.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 202
The role of Facebook in a survivor’s post-assault life: rape on campuses, women activists, and mental health
Get PDFThe rise of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) has raised concerns about the negative impact social media platforms, and in particular Facebook, has on their users. Research has linked the excessive use of Facebook with mental health challenges such as loneliness, depression, and stress. This research examined how Yolanda Dyantyi, a gender rights activist registered as a student from 2015 to 2017 at Rhodes University, used Facebook as an outlet following the #RUreferencelist protests and her subsequent permanent exclusion from the institution for her role in the protests. The study explored Dyanti’s use of Facebook, examining in particular her ongoing activism, her mental health challenges, and her struggles to re-establish herself in a community after the exclusion from Rhodes. The study employed an intersectional feminist theoretical framework and drew on a qualitative content analysis, a semi-structured interview, and the scroll back method to review the Facebook posts she had made. A thematic analysis of the data showed that Dyantyi is a multifaceted, and evolving Facebook user and contrary to existing research her prolific use of Facebook has had positive effects on her mental health and has enabled her to build social capital. The study suggests that activism is an important component to research alongside studies of mental health on such media platforms.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Journalism and Media Studies, 202
An exploratory study of King IV™: The effect of Principle Four and its practices in achieving good performance by selected JSE-listed companies
Get PDFThe research conducted for the dissertation entitled “An exploratory study of King IVTM: The effect of principle four and its practices in achieving good performance by selected JSE-listed companies”, aimed to determine whether principle four, namely the creation of value, and the application by an organisation of the recommended practices as set out in King IVTM, contribute to the achievement of good performance. The research outlined the background to the research by describing the history of the development of corporate governance internationally and in South Africa, dating back to 1932 and culminating with the King IV™ report. It described the problem statement, defined the aims and objectives of the study, and demonstrated that the significance of the study lies in its exploration of the relationship between the King IV™ practices and good performance. The research also provided a review of the related literature, describing the theoretical background for the research, which includes the conceptual framework and propositions of the research. The research was situated in the post-positivist paradigm, the methodology was qualitative, and the method adopted was a theory-based evaluation, based on a deductive thematic analysis with pattern matching. From a detailed reading of the integrated reports and the King IVTM compliance registers of the fifteen selected listed companies for the years 2017 to 2019, hits and misses in relation to the six capitals and the eight associated practices were recorded. From this, the resulting descriptive statistics were calculated and set out in the form of tables, and a regression analysis was used to support the findings. The research revealed, based on the descriptive statistics data that there is a moderate relationship between good performance and the application of the eight practices set out in King IVTM, that contribute to the achievement of good performance. It was, therefore, concluded that the adoption of corporate governance principles and practices has an effect on performance, although it may not be significant. It is also concluded that the application of the practices in terms of principle four as set out in King IVTM is achieving its intended outcome - the creation of value. The research also concluded that good performance constitutes more than just a company performing financially and that all companies need to comply with the requirements of King IVTM, as the Code is designed to guide organisations in achieving good corporate governance. Governance principles and practices should be adopted in a way that does not unduly constrain them and is appropriate to a company’s particular circumstances. Complying with corporate governance principles and implementing the recommended practices might not guarantee positive outcomes (good performance), but it will guide the board of directors in the pursuit of ethical and effective leadership, and that of sustainable development in order to meet the needs of all stakeholders.Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 202
The prevalence, composition and distribution of forageable plant species in different urban spaces in two medium-sized towns in South Africa
Get PDFGlobally, the importance of urban vegetation in the quality and maintenance of life in urban areas is increasingly recognized. As the basis of urban green infrastructure, urban vegetation provides a diversity of ecosystem services, including provisioning services. However, there is limited understanding of the potential of urban vegetation as a supply of forageable resources within urban landscapes. This study examined the prevalence and distribution of forageable plant species across different spaces in the towns of Potchefstroom and Thabazimbi, South Africa. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed for selecting study sites, with a total of 136 plots sampled. In total, 88 plant species (foraged and forageable) were encountered across the sample plots, with almost three-quarters (70%) being indigenous to South Africa. Most of the species had multiple uses, with medicine, food and firewood being the most common uses, in order of frequency. Species cover and richness significantly differed across the urban spaces, being markedly higher in protected areas as compared to other spaces. Moreover, five plant communities were identified, resembling various species uses. Overall, the findings show that the fragmented urban spaces are endowed with a diversity of forageable plant species, with many valuable to particular sectors of urban society, such as foragers. Moreover, the notable number of forageable plant species encountered across the different spaces demonstrates the potential of urban green infrastructure as a supply of provisioning and cultural ecosystem services. This provides the basis for the selection of a diversity of species in urban greening programs for enhancing liveability and overall well-being in urban areas
The regulation of communications surveillance in Nigeria
Get PDFThis study examines the manner in which communications surveillance is regulated in Nigeria, with the aim of providing recommendations to ensure a new surveillance regime that provides adequate safeguards for human rights, particularly the right to privacy. The rapid innovation in ICT has brought new challenges to the right to privacy, among which is communications surveillance. Communications surveillance is an important tool of law enforcement as it enables remote gathering of evidence through interception of communication and acquisition of the metadata of electronic communications. Communications surveillance could therefore be an egregious intrusion on a person’s intimate private sphere and should only be permitted only when necessary. The clandestine nature of communications surveillance, however, increases the risk of unlawfulness as a person under surveillance will be unable to challenge the process unless they are notified. The benchmark in international law is that laws regulating communications surveillance must be lawful, non-arbitrary and provide adequate safeguards for the right to privacy. This study establishes that the legal framework on communications surveillance in Nigeria does not meet this standard. Using the South African legal framework as a comparator and drawing on relevant international and regional law on the right to privacy and communications surveillance, this study recommends reforms for the current legal framework on communications surveillance in Nigeria.Thesis (LLD) -- Faculty of Law, School of Private Law, 202