scholarly journals Recollected experiences of first hospitalisation for acute psychosis among persons diagnosed with schizophrenia in South Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Zubi ◽  
P Connolly
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Psychiatric Hospital ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Acute Psychosis ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
African Context ◽  
First Admission

<p>First-time admission to a psychiatric hospital for acute psychosis has been reported to be extremely traumatic, and this has not been adequately researched in the South African context. This study approached persons diagnosed with schizophrenia and explores their recollected, subjective experiences of their first admission to a South African psychiatric hospital ward for acute psychosis. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with seven participants diagnosed with schizophrenia. These were analysed using thematic content analysis. While some participants had positive experiences, the majority reported frightening, distressing, emotionally painful or traumatic experiences during their first hospitalisation. The first hospital admission was also described as having serious long-term implications for the person’s wellbeing, particularly as the diagnosis of schizophrenia made them feel isolated and stigmatised, which further hinders them from recovering from their symptoms and reintegrating into society. This study therefore draws attention to aspects of the process of first admission to psychiatric wards in South Africa, which may benefit from proactive intervention and closer research attention.</p>

Pathways through homelessness: the perceptions of homeless children in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-160
Author(s):  
Anna Wilshire Jones Bornman ◽  
Carol Jean Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Well Being ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Homeless Children ◽  
The South ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
African Context

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore children’s pathways through homelessness within the South African context, with particular attention paid to pathways out of homelessness. This study focusses on factors influencing children’s successful transitions out of homelessness. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative exploratory design was used, using interviews with nine children who had exited or were in the process of exiting homelessness. Interviews were conducted at a children’s shelter in Pietermaritzburg or in the children’s home environments. Interviews were analysed thematically. Findings An ecological framework was used to frame the factors influencing children’s pathways in, through and out of homelessness in the children’s narratives. These included institutions, relationships and intrapersonal strengths and resources. The study suggested that constructive relationships with shelter staff and parental figures, as well as intrapersonal strengths, were the most prominent factors in children successfully negotiating their way through their homelessness. The importance of a relationship with the paternal family within some African cultures was also a point of leverage. Research limitations/implications Implications for policy and practise include the need for systemic change, as well as greater support for shelters and shelter staff. The issue of rivalry in the shelter context and the role of the paternal family in the reintegration process require more research attention. The research is limited to homeless children in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Practical implications This study provided feedback to the shelter regarding their strategies for assisting homeless children off the streets. It further provided evidence for the importance of the work of the shelter, to strengthen advocacy efforts. This may be useful to others in similar circumstances. Social implications This study highlights the importance of macrosystemic interventions in the efforts to assist homeless children, while at the same time not ignoring the inter and intra, personal elements to enhancing their well-being. Originality/value This paper is singular in its exploration of factors influencing children’s successful transitions out of homelessness within the South African context.

scholarly journals The SERVQUAL instrument: Reliability and validity in South Africa

1997 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 113-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deon Nel ◽  
Leyland F. Pitt ◽  
Pierre R. Berthon
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
South African ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Practitioner Research ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
African Context ◽  
Instrument Reliability

The drive to measure service quality has become a major focus in many organizations, as the links between service quality and business performance have become more clear. Similarly, the development of SERVQUAL, an instrument for the measurement of service quality, has spurred much research in this area. Most of the research concerning SERVQUAL has focussed on the psychometric properties of rehability and validity. SERVQUAL has received considerable academic and practitioner research attention in South Africa; however, while isolated studies have commented on its robustness none have considered SERVQUAL across a range of industries and settings using different approaches. The study reported here attempts to redress this. It reports the results of SERVQUAL studies across a range of organizations and examines issues of reliability and validity. A major conclusion is that SERVQUAL in a South African context generally possesses strong statistical properties but needs further refinement particularly to overcome problems of discriminant validity. Opportunities for further research are identified.

‘Limping, Yet Made to Climb a Mountain!’ Re-Reading the Vashti Character in the Hiv And Aids South African Context

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madipoane Masenya (Ngwan’A Mphahlele)
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
External Factor ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
African Women ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Land Grabbing ◽  
The Bible ◽  
History Of ◽  
African Context

The history of the Christian Bible’s reception in South Africa was part of a package that included among others, the importation of European patriarchy, land grabbing and its impoverishment of Africans and challenged masculinities of African men. The preceding factors, together with the history of the marginalization of African women in bible and theology, and how the Bible was and continues to be used in our HIV and AIDS contexts, have only made the proverbial limping animal to climb a mountain. Wa re o e bona a e hlotša, wa e nametša thaba (while limping, you still let it climb a mountain) simply means that a certain situation is being aggravated (by an external factor). In this chapter the preceding Northern Sotho proverb is used as a hermeneutical lens to present an HIV and AIDS gender sensitive re-reading of the Vashti character in the Hebrew Bible within the South African context.

Reimagining Intersectionality and Social Exclusion in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khosi Kubeka ◽  
Sharmla Rama
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Social Division ◽  
Common Reference ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
African Context

Combining the theories of intersectionality and social exclusion holds the potential for structural and nuanced interpretations of the workings of power, taking systemic issues seriously but interpreting them though social relations that appear in local contexts. An intersectional analysis of social exclusion demonstrates to what extent multiple axes of social division—be they race, age, gender, class, disability or citizenship—intersect to result in unequal and disparate experiences for groups of youth spatially located in particular communities and neighborhoods. A common reference point is therefore power and how it manifests at the intersection of the local and global. A South African case study is used to explore the subjective measures and qualitative experiences of intersectionality and social exclusion further. The unique ways that language intersects with space, neighborhood, and race in the South African context, enables opportunities in education and the labor market, with profound implications for forms of social exclusion.

scholarly journals Exploring the factors that influence the career decision of STEM students at a university in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethel Ndidiamaka Abe ◽  
Vitallis Chikoko
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
South African ◽  
Career Decisions ◽  
Career Decision ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Career Decision Making ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
African Context

Abstract Background Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educators and stakeholders in South Africa are interested in the ways STEM students make their career decisions because of the shortages in these critical skills. Although various factors including family, teachers, peers, and career interest have been reported as determinants of career decision-making, there is a scarcity of studies that have qualitatively explored the levels of influences of any of these factors in the South African context. The main aim of this study was to investigate the factors that influence career decision-making among STEM student majors in a South African university. By better understanding students’ viewpoint on these factors, educators and policymakers can assist students in making career decisions that fit their experiences, personality, and expectations. Students in their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year of study respectively, were invited to respond to a semi-structured questionnaire about the factors that were influential in their decision to pursue a career in STEM. A total of 203 texts (response rate: 63%) were qualitatively analyzed utilising a hermeneutic phenomenology approach to traditional content analysis, whereby themes develop inductively from the data. Results We used a hermeneutic phenomenological method to traditional content analysis to examine the factors influencing participants’ career decision-making. Peer interrogation, modified member verification, compact description, code-recode tactics, and assessment trails were engaged to confirm quality and rigour. Three key results emerged, namely interpersonal, intrapersonal, and career outcomes expectancy. The perceptions of STEM students of their career decision-making in the South African context are more multifaceted than reported previously. The insights could inform policies to counter skills shortages in the STEM area. Conclusions In this exploratory study, we gave attention to describing the various ranges of students’ perceptions and experiences regarding their career decision-making. Several students reported, among other factors, that their families, personality, and expectations played influential roles in their career decision-making. Here, we discuss the meaning of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and outcome expectations with respect to career decision-making from the perspective of STEM students in a South African university.

scholarly journals Measuring network competence in buyer-supplier relationships

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-447
Author(s):  
Gert Human
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Business Networks ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
Supplier Relationships ◽  
African Context ◽  
Network Competence ◽  
Business To Business

Managing multiple buyer-seller relationships in business-to-business networks demands an understanding of a firm’s competence to manage in an interconnected environment.  This paper reports on an attempt to measure network competence by using the NetCompTest scale in business-to-business markets in South Africa. Based on a pilot study refinement, the paper proposes an adjusted measurement scale and details the results of a second round of measurement conducted amongst 495 business-to-business managers in South Africa. The results established partial support for the use of the NetCompTest scale in a South African context, and analysis of variance indicated that some differences in the measurement based on firm and individual characteristics can be observed in the data. The paper assists in theory-building and provides managerial insights for managing buyer-supplier relationships in networks.

scholarly journals Illicit drug use and violence in acute psychosis among acute adult admissions at a South African psychiatric hospital

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wicomb ◽  
Lyndall Jacobs ◽  
Naasika Ebrahim ◽  
Megan Rensburg ◽  
Muiruri Macharia
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
South African ◽  
Psychiatric Hospital ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Acute Psychosis

scholarly journals Allan Boesak, Black Theology and Apartheid: A theological-historical approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Fortein
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
South African ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Black Theology ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Historical Approach ◽  
African Context ◽  
American Black

In this article I will give specific attention to the reciprocal relationship between Black Theology and Allan Boesak based on his lived experience of apartheid from a theological-historical perspective. It is my presupposition that Boesak’s experience of apartheid made him prone to the influence of Black Theology and that he in turn adapted American Black Theology so that it could be made applicable to the South African context. Black Theology unlocked an entire new theological paradigm for Boesak which enabled him to speak prophetically to the challenges and injustices that occurred under apartheid in South Africa. Attention will be given to the emergence of Black Theology in South Africa, how Boesak was challenged by it and how Black Theology, through Boesak, impacted the theological landscape.

scholarly journals Differentiated outlook to portray secondary cities in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 457-477
Author(s):  
Andre DW Brand ◽  
◽  
Johannes E Drewes ◽  
Maléne Campbell ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Urban Growth ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Regional Networks ◽  
Extended Phase ◽  
Common Assumption ◽  
African Context ◽  
The Common

<abstract> <p>Cities are playing an increasingly important role in the development and growth of countries. A country's growth and prosperity is largely dependent on the efficient functioning of its cities. The reliance of countries on the ability of their cities to perform crucial central functions, for national growth, continues to rise. South Africa has a long-standing network of cities, towns and localities. These have developed and become hierarchised over the course of history during which population settlements and their distribution have been influenced by colonisation, segregation, industrialisation and globalisation. Since 1911, South Africa has undergone an extended phase of intense urban growth, with areas such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and eThekwini (Durban) agglomerating into dominating economic spaces. There are, however, no universally accepted, distinct criteria that constitute the general characteristics of secondary cities. The common assumption is that secondary cities are those cities that find themselves below the apex of what are considered primary cities. Furthermore, internationally, secondary cities appear to be considered as important catalysts for balanced and dispersed economic growth. In the South African context, the notion of what constitutes secondary cities is to a large extent underdeveloped. The aim of the paper is to appraise interconnected regional networks as a differentiated and novel outlook when determining secondary cities in South Africa. What is evident from the paper is that there are different potential alternatives with which to portray secondary cities.</p> </abstract>

Iterative Approaches to R × C Ecological Inference Problems: Where They Can Go Wrong and One Quick Fix

2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen E. Ferree
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Aggregation Bias ◽  
Iterative Approach ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Ecological Inference ◽  
Inference Problems ◽  
African Context

This article argues that a key step in King's iterative approach to R × C ecological inference problems—the aggregation of groups into broad conglomerate categories—can introduce problems of aggregation bias and multimodality into data, inducing model violations. As a result, iterative EI estimates can be considerably biased, even when the original data conform to the assumptions of the model. I demonstrate this problem intuitively and through simulations, show the conditions under which it is likely to arise, and illustrate it with the example of Coloured voting during the 1994 elections in South Africa. I then propose an easy fix to the problem, demonstrating the usefulness of the fix both through simulations and in the specific South African context.

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