scholarly journals Social Support Experiences of Spousally Bereaved Individuals in a South African Township Community: The Botho/Ubuntu Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsholofelo Angela Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
South African ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Family Members ◽  
North West ◽  
Black South African ◽  
The North ◽  
Patriarchal Ideology ◽  
Withdrawal Of Support ◽  
South African Township

Bereavement is a deeply personal experience that is also shaped by one’s socio-cultural context. This qualitative study explored the social support experiences and needs of spousally bereaved individuals in a South African township. The botho/ubuntu philosophical framework was used to interpret participants’ experiences in this regard. Six ethnically diverse, bereaved spouses aged 55–67years, residing in a predominantly Setswana-speaking township in the North West Province of South Africa, were interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. An indigenous knowledge consultant was interviewed to situate participant experiences pertaining to mourning rites and traditions within the indigenous socio-historical and contemporary cultural context. The following themes were identified: (i) Sources of social support during bereavement; (ii) Inadequate social support after spousal death; (iii) The need for grief counseling; and (iv) Social restrictions and systematic isolation during the traditional mourning period: “It is as if you smell.” Broadly, bereaved spouses drew on their support networks at various stages of their bereavement, which included family members, in-laws, friends, burial societies, their surrounding communities, and religious communities and figures. However, some experienced ostracization and stigmatization during the mourning period, which was invariably longer for the widows in this study, in line with conventions across Black South African cultures. Some participants reported withdrawal of support by their in-laws and harmful attitudes and assumptions rooted in patriarchal ideology by family members and in-laws. As pertaining to botho/ubuntu, the study also showed that communality or relationality entailed both positive and negative aspects, including support, co-operation, care, lack of support, stigmatization, and ostracization. Unlike conventional conceptualizations of botho/ubuntu, the study findings illustrate the human experience as comprising varying dimensions of relationality, ranging from harmony to disharmony. Findings regarding the negative aspects of communality are compatible with those relating to relational interdependence in African and East Asian settings. The findings also expand our understanding of the nature of disharmony alongside harmony in interdependent socio-cultural contexts.

Systemic School Improvement Interventions in South Africa

2014 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
South African ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
North West ◽  
Household Level ◽  
The North ◽  
Improvement Interventions ◽  
Academic Review

Looking at two smaller-scale systemic school improvement projects implemented in selected district circuits in the North West and Eastern Cape by partnerships between government, JET Education Services, and private sector organisations, this book captures and reflects on the experiences of the practitioners involved. The Systemic School Improvement Model developed by JET to address an identified range of interconnected challenges at district, school, classroom and household level, is made up of seven components. In reflecting on what worked and what did not in the implementation of these different components, the different chapters set out some of the practical lessons learnt, which could be used to improve the design and implementation of similar education improvement projects. Many of the lessons in this field that remain under-recorded to date relate to the step-by-step processes followed, the relationship dynamics encountered at different levels of the education system, and the local realities confronting schools and districts in South Africa's rural areas. Drawing on field data that is often not available to researchers, the book endeavours to address this gap and record these lessons. It is not intended to provide an academic review of the systemic school improvement projects. It is presented rather to offer other development practitioners working to improve the quality of education in South African schools, an understanding of some of the real practical and logistical challenges that arise and how these may be resolved to take further school improvement projects forward at a wider district, provincial and national scale.

Resource Utilisation in Groups of Black South African Adolescents: Gender, Age, and Individual Differences

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Liddell ◽  
Chris McConville
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
South African ◽  
Resource Utilisation ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Black South African ◽  
South African Township

This study uses a movie-viewing instrument to assess patterns of resource utilisation in South African township adolescents. The degree to which resource utilisation and other task behaviours were associated with gender, age, and individual differences form the focus. Boys used more gestures denoting dominant and subordinate status, were more physically aggressive, and were generally more coercive than girls. Older children shared the resource more equitably, showed more positive affect, and spent less time issuing directives. There were inequities in children’s access to the movie. However, neither on-task behaviours nor participants’ academic achievement were consistently associated with some children accessing the movie more than others.

scholarly journals Funksionele meertaligheid in Suid-Afrika: 'n onbereikbare ideaal?

Literator ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Verhoef
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Final Report ◽  
North West ◽  
African Languages ◽  
The North ◽  
Mother Tongue Instruction ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Regional Languages

Functional multilingualism in South Africa: an unattainable ideal? Although much has been done on an official level to establish true multilingualism in South Africa, a tendency towards English monolingualism seems to exist in the country. The aim of this article is to describe the official stipulations in pursuit of multilingualism, as they appear in the Constitution (Act 108 of 1996), the School Act (Act 84 of 1996) and the final report of Langtag. In addition to the present demands, the article also responds to previous demands for multilingualism in the South African context, particularly as stated in the Bantu Education Act of 1953. It is argued that, because of the negative connotations associated with mother-tongue instruction in the past, contemporary mother-tongue instruction will also be contaminated. Apart from the theoretical investigation into multilingualism, the article reports on empirical research that has been done in this regard in the North West Province where the attitudes and perceptions of the school population towards the regional languages were measured. Although the subjects reacted positively to the official status granted to several South African languages, they expressed a preference for English as working language because of the access it gives to personal, economic and social development and empowerment. The article concludes with brief recommendations regarding language planning opportunities that derive from this situation.

scholarly journals Obesity in African women in the North West Province, South Africa is associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases: the THUSA study

2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 733-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. Kruger ◽  
C. S. Venter ◽  
H. H. Vorster
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Diastolic Blood Pressure ◽  
South African ◽  
Fasting Glucose ◽  
Hdl Cholesterol ◽  
African Women ◽  
North West ◽  
The North

The objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between anthropometric measurements and risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCD) in South African black women. A cross-sectional sample of 1040 apparently healthy black female volunteers, 15–70 years old, was recruited from thirty-seven randomly selected sites in the North West Province, stratified according to level of urbanisation. We analysed the association between BMI, waist:hip (WHR), waist circumference (WC) and skinfold measurements and the following risk factors for NCD: blood pressure, serum lipids, fasting serum glucose and insulin and plasma fibrinogen, by using age-adjusted correlation analyses and stepwise regression analysis. Of the subjects, 28·6 % were obese (BMI>30). After adjustment for age and smoking status, BMI correlated significantly with diastolic blood pressure (r0·21,P=0·037), serum triacylglycerols (TG) (r0·30,P=0·003), fasting glucose (r0·29,P=0·005) and log fasting insulin (r0·24,P=0·02). There was a significant negative correlation between BMI and HDL-cholesterol (r-0·38,P<0·001). Similar but stronger correlations were found between both WC and WHR and these risk factors. Together with age, WC was a significant predictor of TG, HDL-cholesterol and fasting glucose in regression analysis, while subscapular skinfold was a significant predictor of diastolic blood pressure and fasting glucose concentration. Triceps skinfold was a significant predictor of total serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, plasma fibrinogen and the insulin sensitivity index. Measures of obesity, particularly WC, are associated with the risk for NCD in black South African women, in which a high rate of obesity has been found.

scholarly journals The strengths of families in supporting mentally-ill family members

Curationis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masego C. Mokgothu ◽  
Emmerentia Du Plessis ◽  
Magdalena P. Koen
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Psychiatric Nurses ◽  
North West ◽  
External Resources ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
The North ◽  
Contextual Design

Background: Although families caring for a mentally-ill family member may experience challenges, some of these families may display strengths that help them to overcome difficulties and grow even stronger in caring for their family member. In cases where these families are unable to cope, the mentally-ill family member tends to relapse. This indicated the need to explore the strengths of families that cope with caring for mentally-ill family members.Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the strengths of families in supporting mentally-ill family members in Potchefstroom in the North-West Province.Method: A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was employed, with purposive sampling and unstructured individual interviews with nine participants. Tesch’seight steps of thematic content analysis were used.Results: Twelve themes emerged from the data. This involved strengths such as obtaining treatment, utilising external resources, faith, social support, supervision, calming techniques, keeping the mentally-ill family member busy, protecting the mentally-ill family member from negative outside influences, creative communication, praise and acceptance.Conclusion: Families utilise external strengths as well as internal strengths in supporting their mentally-ill family member. Recommendations for nursing practice, nursing education and for further research could be formulated. Psychiatric nurses should acknowledge families’ strengths and, together with families, build on these strengths, as well as empower families further through psycho-education and support.

Relocating the Prophet’s Image: Narrative Motifs and Local Appropriation of the Zarathustra Legend in Pre- and Early Islamic Iran (Part II - North-West Iran)

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-245
Author(s):  
Gianfilippo Terribili
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
North West ◽  
Historical Reality ◽  
The North ◽  
Local Identities ◽  
Early Islamic

From the very beginning of Iranian disciplinary studies, the material concerning Zarathustra’s biography has been analysed in depth, firstly to identify the homeland of the Prophet and then to discuss the historical reality of this authoritative figure. Despite the divergences of opinion, emphasis has always been placed on the reconstruction of the figure of Zarathustra and much less on the socio-cultural context in which the image of the Prophet was cultivated. The present paper represents the second part of a larger work (see Terribili 2020) that aims to reverse this perspective and emphasize those data, which link up narrative variations and extensions with local identities. In fact, variations in geographical setting reveal processes of acculturation through which social groups reinvented the influential image of the Prophet within a familiar horizon. In this respect, the Sasanian period proved pivotal in the formation of both Zoroastrian and Iranian communal identities. In the wake of the first work, this second paper approaches aspects connected to the North-West Iran and Ādurbādagān tradition.

scholarly journals Travelling terms and local innovations: The tsotsitaal of the North West province, South Africa

Literator ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thabo Ditsele ◽  
Ellen Hurst
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Local Level ◽  
First Language ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
North West Province ◽  
Base Language ◽  
Multiple Meanings

This article focuses on the theme of linguistic innovation and expands on recent studies of the South African linguistic phenomenon tsotsitaal to show that it has travelled from its epicentre of Gauteng province into the North West province (henceforth North West), where it uses Setswana as its Matrix Language because it is the dominant language in the North West. Data were gathered from the North West’s three largest cities, namely, Rustenburg, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom. The article presents examples of tsotsitaal spoken in the three cities and analyses its linguistic structure and lexical items. The significance of this tsotsitaal study is that it is the first to be conducted exclusively amongst first language (L1) Setswana speakers in an environment where the language is the most dominant – the North West. The study confirms previous literature which describes the phenomenon as a register of the urban form. It furthermore suggests that new lexical innovations at a local level are often drawn from the local base language, in this case Setswana, because the local language offers the best opportunities for semantic shift and multiple meanings.

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