Rugby versus Soccer in South Africa: Content familiarity contributes to cross-cultural differences in cognitive test scores

In this study, cross-cultural differences in cognitive test scores are hypothesized to depend on a test's cultural complexity (Cultural Complexity Hypothesis: CCH), here conceptualized as its content familiarity, rather than on its cognitive complexity (Spearman's Hypothesis: SH). The content familiarity of tests assessing short-term memory, attention, working memory, and figural and verbal fluid reasoning, was manipulated by constructing test versions with an item content derived from either Afrikaans or Tswana culture in South Africa. Both test versions were administered to children of both cultures. The sample consisted of 161 urban Afrikaans, 181 urban, and 159 rural Tswana children (M_age = 9.37 years). Children generally performed best on the test version that was designed for their own group, particularly on the cognitively and culturally complex working memory and figural fluid reasoning tests. This relation between content familiarity and cognitive test performance supports CCH and disconfirms SH.     

Challenging the Stubborn Core of Opposition to Equality: Racial Contact and Policy Attitudes

A Random Digit Dialing survey (n = 794) examined the interracial contact experiences and racial attitudes of White South Africans. The survey measured racial attitudes not only in terms of individuals' prejudice, but also in terms of their perceptions of group threat, perceived injustice, and support for various government policies designed to rectify the legacy of apartheid. The results indicated that the frequency and quality of interracial contact predicted Whites' support for both race compensatory and race preferential policies of redress, and these effects were partly mediated by perceived threat, sense of fairness, and racial prejudice. The research points to a potential rapprochement between the social psychological theories of intergroup contact and group positioning theories derived from the work of Blumer. It also highlights the value of adopting a more expansive and politically nuanced conception of the “consequences” of contact and desegregation.     

Liberal and Communitarian Discourse: An African Perspective

The issue addressed in this essay is what constitutes the most appropriate type of relationship between the individual and society. Because African countries have generally not been successful reconstructing their societies in a manner that can significantly help their peoples to realize their human potential, they are in need of social reconstruction. In their attempts to find a solution to this problem, African scholars—both post-colonial African nationalist leaders and contemporary African philosophers and scholars of African culture—have fixed on the idea that a liberal or communitarian ideology can reverse the collapse of shared values. Many of these scholars claim that the roots of communitarianism go back to indigenous African societies. Others, meanwhile, have discovered something in the African way of life that makes African society effectively liberal. This essay holds that none of these attempts to solve the problem of the dislocation of African values succeed, due to the inadequacies inherent in both liberalism and communitarianism. I suggest instead that the only solution to Africa’s social problem is the provision by the government of an essential foundation for the pursuit of such public benefits as peace, welfare, and the opportunity for the individual to pursue his or her own happiness.     

On the (Ir)Relevance of Lutheran Theology: Teaching Lutheran Theology in Tanzania

Abstract : The Lutheran interpretation of the gospel we have preached and taught in Tanzania finds little resonance. This may be due to our individualistic and guilt‐oriented, narrow reading of Luther. Luther's theology may again become relevant in Tanzania should it find local interpretations. Good news can indeed be glad tidings when the Word meets human need and anguish. The dominating questions of the human condition change between cultures, societies and times. Our context is not 16th century Wittenberg.     

The Relationship Between Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Their Fathers and Loneliness: A Cross-Cultural Study

Loneliness can be regarded as an epidemic of modern society that is becoming increasingly problematic for millions of people. Adolescents are particularly susceptible to the development of this kind of emotional distress. Although many causes of loneliness can be identified, some researchers are of the opinion that it can also be attributed to unpleasant childhood experiences that result in unfulfilled needs relating to intimacy. In this research study, the relationship between loneliness and adolescents’ attitudes towards their fathers was investigated. In order to achieve this goal, information was gathered from 1068 South African respondents. Biographical questionnaires were administered and a Loneliness Scale was applied. In addition, adolescents’ attitudes towards their fathers were measured by means of a Fathers Questionnaire. Steps were taken to determine which of the independent variables, namely gender, age, race, language and socio-economic status, contributed significantly to the prediction of loneliness. In order to process the acquired information, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted. The most important finding of this study is that adolescents’ attitudes towards their fathers comprise the most prominent predictor of loneliness during adolescence. The results also indicated that all of the independent variables had a statistically significant influence on loneliness.     

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.     

Sexual risk behaviour among HIV-infected women in the first twelve months after delivery in South Africa

This study aimed to assess sexual risk behaviour and its social correlates in HIV-infected women living in rural South Africa at six and twelve months post-partum. Participants were 699 HIV-positive women recruited prenatally by systematic sampling from twelve community health centres in Mpumalanga province, South Africa (mean age = 28.4 years, SD = 5.7; married =41.1%; serodiscordant or unknown partner status = 74.9%). They self-reported on their sexual activity six to twelve months after delivery; including use of condoms and partner involvement. Generalised linear mixed models were utilised to estimate unsafe sex outcomes from a prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) intervention, socio-demographic factors, disclosure, and male involvement. About 20% of sexually active women in the past week had used condoms inconsistently at six and twelve months after delivery. Moreover, 16% and 18% of the women had not used a condom at last sex and 11% and 13% had unprotected sex with HIV-uninfected or unknown-status partners following delivery at six and twelve months, respectively. Higher inconsistent condom use was likely with lower male involvement. Promotion of condom use post-partum, as well as male involvement in sexual decisions, are important for safer sex post-partum by seropositive women.     

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.     

Agency,resilience and coping: Exploring the psychosocial effects of goat ownership on orphaned and vulnerable children in Western Kenya

Despite an increase in goat donation programmes geared at orphaned and vulnerable children in sub‐Saharan Africa, the social psychological effects of goat ownership on the lives of these children have yet to be investigated. To shed light on the ways in which goat ownership affects children's psychosocial well‐being, this paper presents a case study of a goat donation programme in Western Kenya, paying particular attention to children's interaction with the goats. Informed by social psychological understandings of resilience and coping, we involved fifteen children (aged 12–17) in this qualitative study, using photographs and written reflections to describe the impact of goat ownership on their lives. The children also created daily routine diagrams and community maps and participated in two group discussions to explore their experiences further. The guardians of two of the participating children were also interviewed. A thematic content analysis of all our data revealed that goat ownership, within this social environment, enabled children to (i) generate income as a result of their participation in goat management, (ii) negotiate social support and (iii) create positive images of self and life – deriving emotional benefits. We conclude that goat ownership provides orphaned and vulnerable children with opportunities for positive social participation and community engagement that can facilitate children's resilience. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cultural and environmental pressure against left-hand preference in urban and semi-urban Malawi

The study assessed views of teachers, pupils and their guardians on left-hand preference. Seventy-five percent of the responders indicated that the left hand should not be preferred for habitual activities and 87.6% of them indicated that left-handers should be forced to change the hand. Gender had significant effect on the view on left hand preference (df = 1, OR (odds ratio) = 0.465, p = 0.027). Giving a handshake when greeting a person, drawing and writing were the three top target activities against left-hand preference. An assumption that the left hand is less skilled and less powerful than the right one was the most common reason for negative view on left-hand use. Most of volunteers reported that parents and close relatives were the primary group of people who usually discourage left-hand use. Eighty point one percent of the responders indicated that people should stop preferring the left hand as soon as somebody noticed their left-handedness. The results indicated that cultural and environmental pressures might significantly affect visibility of left-handedness in urban Malawian populations.