Mozambican immigrants to South Africa: Their xenophobia and discrimination experiences

We explored Mozambican immigrants’ lived experiences of xenophobia and discrimination in South Africa. Informants were 15 Mozambican immigrants (female = 7, male = 8) living in an informal settlement in Zandspruit, Gauteng Province. They completed open-ended written narratives on xenophobic and discriminatory experiences. Following thematic analysis, we identified three themes to characterise the Mozambican immigrants’ experiences of xenophobia and discrimination: (i) abusive attitudes, (ii) ethnic discrimination, and (iii) scapegoating. The Mozambican immigrants’ experiences of xenophobia and discrimination are consistent with findings from the extant international literature on ingroup/outgroup social strife with real or perceived scarcity of resources.     

Contrast and contradiction: Being a black adolescent in contemporary South Africa

This study aimed to gain in-depth understanding of the lived identity of black African adolescents in a contemporary South African setting. A purposive sample of 59 adolescents (females = 47%; Sesotho = 46%, Setswana = 36%, Other = 18%) from the Motheo district of the Free State, South Africa, participated in focus group discussions and in-depth individual interviews. Thematic analysis suggested that black South African adolescents experience transitional identities characterised by contrasts and contradictions. Altruism, autonomy, religiosity and cultural experiences were important to their lived identities. The interplay between African rituals, Christian principles, Western values and the globalisation of cultures provided fertile ground for developing a nuanced and multi-dimensional identity as an adolescent living in contemporary South Africa.     

Experiences of supervising postgraduate community psychology students at Wits university,South Africa

In this article, the authors discuss problems and challenges of supervising postgraduate community psychology students at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. As part of their community work, students developed community projects in schools in Alexandra Township, aimed at dealing with social ills such as HIV/AIDS, gangs, violence, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy. Students found community work to be extremely exhausting, stressful and demanding. Therefore, community psychology supervision became an important space in helping students to reflect on the experiences, anxieties and frustrations. This article discusses key themes that have emerged in community supervision, including gender, race and class issues. In conclusion, recommendations are provided on how to improve community psychology supervision based our experiences. Supervisors need to be proactive in helping students to reflect on their experiences and actively engage with some of the theoretical and practical issues that emerge in community work. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Student Nurses' Experiences of The Clinical Psychiatric Learning Environment in an Education Institution

This study investigated lived experiences of student nurses working in a clinical psychiatric learning environment in South Africa. Participants were 29 fourth-year student nurses in the clinical psychiatric learning environment at a nursing education institution (females = 27; males =2). They engaged in focus group discussion on their experiences of the clinical psychiatric learning environment. The data were thematically analyzed using Tesch's method of open coding. The student nurses experienced the environment as growth enhancing on a professional and personal level.     

The relationship between dual-career and post-sport career transition among elite athletes in South Africa,Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe

The primary objective of this study was to get an in-depth account of the role of dual careers on elite athletes' post-sport career transition and to examine these issues cross-culturally between South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. This study also examined the availability of support services for student-athletes’ dual-careers in their respective countries. Lastly, this study examined the retirement transition experiences of dual-career elite athletes compared to non-dual career elite athletes. To achieve the study objectives, the study used online survey, semi-structured interviews and focus groups to collected data on retired athletes from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. A total of 17 retired athletes (12 males and 5 females) from various sports (athletics-6, swimming-2, Boxing-2, rowing-2, field hockey-2, gymnastics-1, triathlon-1, biking-1) in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe participated in the study. All athletes had competed at the Olympic games except one athlete who competed at world championships and the commonwealth games. The study observed three major themes (type of retirement, dual-career, and challenges) as crucial in elite athletes' retirement transition and post-sport career. Consistent with the literature on retirement transition, the study observed that athletes' experiences in elite sport are crucial in explaining not only their retirement transition, but also their post-sport career adaptation.     

Embodied self-awareness among South African social services therapist-practitioners: An exploratory study

We explored South African social service therapist-practitioners’ experiences of their own lived body in the context of practice. The participants consisted of a convenience sample of 13 therapist-practitioners registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the South African Council for Social Service Professions, in private practice (n?=?9) or government departments (n?=?4) in the Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces of South Africa. They provided data on their embodied self-awareness by means of naïve sketches and/or drawings, experiential body awareness activities, and in-depth one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Findings from the thematic analysis of the data indicated bodily self-awareness; including experiences of bodily felt sensations while doing therapy, intuitive knowing, a sense of warning/ danger, and a sense of the body-schema-in-relation. Most of the therapist-practitioners reported a tendency to deny, suppress, or control their sensory cues or to rationalise them. Embodied self-awareness appears to be a true phenomenon among South African therapist-practitioners.     

Reflections on becoming a psychologist: Professional development experiences of students in a South African psychology graduate program

This study sought to describe student psychologists’ experiences of their professional preparation activities in which they used reflective journals. The students (n =7; female = 71%, black = 86%) were enrolled in a masters training program in the clinical and the counselling psychology programmes at a reputable University in South Africa. Over a period of the ten months of their first academic year, they completed reflective journals on aspects of their professional practice preparation. The reflective journals were thematically analysed to depict how the students framed their experiences. Findings yielded four themes that defined the students’ emerging professional identities: positive feelings about the profession, commitment to high standards of practice, concerns about high work loading, and a sense of learning community. Reflective practice capabilities appear important for early professional identity development from pre-service psychology practice education.     

Caregivers of School-aged Children with Autism: Social Media as a Source of Support

Support groups provide parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with additional support which they may not receive from health care professionals. Rapid technological growth has increased the opportunity for parents to access information and support. In this study, we used a qualitative phenomenological design to explore the use of a social media support group, on WhatsApp, to provide support to parents of children with ASD. We used convenience sampling to select six participants who had a child diagnosed with ASD who was in the foundation or intermediate phase at school and between the ages of 5 and 12 years, had been a part of the WhatsApp support group for 6 months or longer, and lived in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data analysis revealed eight emergent themes, (a) communication support, (b) behavior support, (c) feeding support, (d) emotional support, (e) informational support, (f) the presence of a professional, (g) positive experiences in the group, and (h) limitations of the group. Findings indicate managing behavioral difficulties and emotional support for caregivers were the core functions of the group, and having a professional on the group served as a valuable resource. The use of a social media support group on WhatsApp provided ongoing support to parents of children with ASD, implying that such a group may have clinical significance for use by practitioners as well as the creation of similar groups on other platforms.     

People with severe and profound intellectual disability: Nurse carer experiences in a South African setting

We explored nurse carer experiences with people with severe and profound intellectual disability in a care and rehabilitation centre in South Africa. Informants were a convenience sample of 10 nurses (females = 7; males = 3; mean years of service = 7.8, SD = 4.8 years). They completed an unstructured interview on their care provision experiences. The data were thematically analysed using Tesch’s method of open coding. Findings resulted in the following three themes to characterise the nurse carer experiences: compassion, person-centred care, and importance of parent involvement. Compassionate and person-centred care is fundamental to the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between nurse carers and people with severe and profound intellectual disability.     

Exploring the lived experiences of infertility treatment and care by involuntarily childless women

This study explored the lived experiences of fertility treatment and care by South African women with infertility. A total of 21 women from different age and ethnic groups (age range = 26 to 41; whites = 53%, coloured = 47%) were interviewed for the study. The women responded to semi-structured interviews on their lived experiences of fertility treatment and care whilst undergoing treatment. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified in the study; including: lack of compassionate care from treatment care providers, the need for infertility clinics to integrate psychosocial support care, a need for continuing education for fertility staff, as well as financial support resourcing. Participants expressed a need for health care staff at fertility clinics to be more attentive to their emotional and psychological needs. In addition, participants perceived a need for psychosocial care as a result of the distressing nature of the treatment process. The women also felt that some health care staff lacked technical knowledge about the fertility treatments and this left them deprived of crucial information. The costly nature of fertility treatment presented as an added burden for participants. Overall, participants seemed to require a more individualised and patient centred form of fertility care.     

Patriarchal influences on the lives of African adolescent girls from child-headed households

This study examined the gendered experiences of patriarchal family life by adolescent girls from a low socio-economic status (SES) neighbourhood in South Africa. The informants were nine girls from an urban setting, three of whom were from child-headed homes. The six others lived with extended family and served to provide typical experiences for girls from the same community. Data on the girls’ experience of patriarchal values were gathered using focus group discussions and a photo-voice booklet. Thematic analysis of the data suggested pervasive patriarchal value influences on the adolescent girls – including pressure from within themselves to prove their academic abilities, as well as being competent and responsible in daily living responsibilities. The informant girls perceived their greater educational aspirations to be discounted by their male peers, who did not seem to take them seriously.     

Four categories of women who work as topless dancers

Many involved in the feminist debates over sex work have polarized the construction of women in the sex industry as either victims of exploitation, or free agents who choose this work. This study examined the life circumstances of 30 women who worked as toplesS dancers to determine, how, if at all, the polarized debates reflect the realities of the women in this study. Four catagories of women who worked as topless dancers emerged: (1) survivors, (2) workers, (3) non-conformists, and (4) dancers. These categories suggest that there is a continuum of experience with varying degrees of choice, and demonstrate the limitations of dichotomous thinking when it comes to understanding the lived experiences of women in the sex industry.     

Adapting Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up for infants and young children with intellectual disabilities and developmental delays in South Africa: Reflections and recommendations from local stakeholders

Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) is an intervention targeted at enhancing the socioemotional and regulatory functioning of at-risk infants. However, to use the ABC for infants/toddlers with intellectual disabilities/developmental delays (ID/DD) and in novel cultural contexts, such as South Africa, adaptations may be required. This study aimed, therefore, to explore the opinions of clinical experts and perceptions of caregivers regarding the use of ABC for children with ID/DD in South Africa. It also sought to incorporate the experiences of families of children with ID/DD who received, and intervenors who delivered, ABC in its first implementation in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 participants. Thematic analysis explicated 12 main themes: Intervention Strengths, Points of Concern, and Recommendations (Experts); Focus on Caregiver-child Relationship, and Intervention Targets and Duration (Caregivers); Benefits of ABC, and Cultural Considerations (ABC Recipients); Focused and Targeted, Value of Feedback, Supportive Supervision, Working Alliance, and Challenges Experienced (ABC Intervenors). Practice and training recommendations include psychoeducation for parents and training for intervenors that is ID/DD-specific, expanding supervision capacity, building intervenors’ cultural/linguistic sensitivity and competence, accessing referral networks, including local Community Health Workers as intervenors, and greater flexibility in how the sessions are organized.     

Diversity and Dance: Exploring the Therapeutic Implications of World Dance

This phenomenological study examined the potential power of world dance as a therapeutic tool. The lived experiences of adult females (N = 16) were explored to understand the purposive essence of dance and subsequent benefits to mental health. Findings revealed 15 themes in total: 11 themes highlighted potential benefits of world dance, such as social support and stress relief, and four themes noted potential obstacles to using world dance as a therapeutic tool, such as access or finances. Implications for using world dance within creative counseling practice are provided.     

Politics and emotion: Working with disadvantaged children in South Africa

This paper discusses the experience of consulting to organizations involved in the provision of care to disadvantaged groups of children in South Africa. It draws particular attention to the impact of South Africa's painful political history on the emotional life of these organizations. This has created an additional burden for organizational staff who often work under difficult conditions with very troubled groups of children. The paper highlights the common experiences of deprivation and loss, fears around the abuse of power and problems with acknowledging differences between people, which are a part of South Africa's political legacy. These kinds of issues were found to have a powerful impact on the functioning of organizations and also on the quality of the consultancy relationship itself. We argue that it is important to recognize the emotional demands of child-care work generally, but also that it is equally necessary work, through our political experiences, to achieve some kind of understanding of these. Lack of containment for these experiences will impact on the quality of care organizations are able to offer to children in our context.     

Justice,Peace and Care for Creation: What is at stake? Some South African perspectives

This article explores the relationship between the three aspects of the social agenda of the ecumenical movement captured in the motto of “Justice, peace and care for creation”. It investigates the moral, spiritual and theological issues that are at stake from a South African perspective, drawing especially on a recent document entitled “Climate Change – A challenge to the churches in South Africa” (2009), published and endorsed by the South African Council of Churches. It examines the underlying tensions between these concepts and the ways in which one is sometimes prioritized over the other. It concludes that the themes of justice, peace and sustainability may be associated with different aspects of God's work on earth and that this can only be dealt with on the basis of a deeper theological assessment of the whole of God's work.     

The lived experiences of individuals with Tourette syndrome or tic disorders: A meta‐synthesis of qualitative studies

There is a growing body of qualitative literature describing the lived experiences of people with tic disorders (TDs). The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic review of this literature, synthesizing the perspectives of individuals on their experiences. Meta‐synthesis methodology was utilized to review and draw together findings from 10 articles, from which key concepts were extracted, and over‐arching themes generated. Six themes were identified to encompass the experience of TDs, including (1) cultural, semantic issues of the condition; (2) negative experiences in organizations and treatment; (3) the value and negative impact on interpersonal relationships; (4) personal identity in the constant presence of TDs; (5) concerns for the future; and (6) strategies to control and manage the observable presence of tics. Adaptive coping strategies were found to encompass continuous social adaptation, strategies to manage tics and social perceptions, self‐acceptance, advocacy, and support from others. The results highlighted the significant role of social and cultural issues related to understanding and stigma, which underpinned many of the lived experiences. Implications for clinical practice in supporting individuals with TDs were also highlighted.