Geestesgesondheidsorg in Mamelodi : benadeelde geografiese posisionering in ’n Suid-Afrikaanse township

Geestesgesondheidsorg in Mamelodi: Benadeelde Geografiese Posisionering in ’n Suid-Afrikaanse Township Hierdie artikel fokus op die huidige geestelike gesondheidsorglandskap in Suid-Afrika binne die konteks van die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet, sowel as die Wet op Geestesgesondheidsorg en die Millennium Ontwikkelingsdoelwitte vir Afrika. Teen hierdie agtergrond bespreek dit die werk wat gedoen word by die Itsoseng Gemeenskapskliniek in Mamelodi, ’n sielkunde dienspunt. Alternatiewe benaderings tot werk gedoen met kwesbare kinders word in die besonder aangebied en oor gereflekteer in terme van om moontlikhede uit te wys om die tekort aan hulpbronne aan te spreek vir voldoende en effektiewe geestesgesondheidsorg in die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse gesondheidsorg konteks. Die kliniek neem ’n sistemiese benadering tot dienslewering aan wat dikwels versorgers sowel as kinders in behandelingsplanne insluit. Met verloop van tyd het die kliniekpersoneel bevind dat verskeie groepwerkmetodes, wat nie-verbale behandelings betrek, effektief is. Die doeltreffendheid van hierdie behandelingsmetodes word tans ondersoek deur 'n deurlopende waglysstudie uit kommer oor die baie kinders wat op die waglys sit vir tot 8 maande.This article focuses on the mental health care landscape in South Africa at present within the context of the South African constitution as well as the Mental Health Care Act and the Millennium Development Goals for Africa. Against this backdrop it discusses the work done at the Itsoseng Community Clinic in Mamelodi, a psychology service outlet. In particular alternative approaches to work done with vulnerable children are presented and reflected on in terms of indicating possibilities to address the shortage of resources for adequate and effective mental health care in the current South African health care context. The clinic takes a systemic approach to service delivery often including caretakers as well as children in treatment plans. Over time, the clinic staff has found that various group work modes, involving non-verbal treatments, are effective. The effectiveness of these treatment modes are currently being explored through an ongoing wait-list study out of concern for the many children sitting on the waiting list for up to eight months.http://www.dejure.up.ac.za/hb201

A construction of bullying in a primary school in an underprivileged community : an ecological case study

This article is based on a master’s dissertation completed through the University of Pretoria. Conversations around behavioural problems in three primary schools in Mamelodi, an underprivileged community in South Africa, explored contextually relevant ideas, in the form of discourse, focusing on the experience of bullying from the perspective of the participants (children identified by the school as engaging in bullying behaviour, school staff, and the children’s families). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the principals (school gatekeepers), and with other participants identified by each other during the interview process. Two figures prominent in the media on the topic at the time of this study were also included to provide discourses on bullying from wider society. An ecological approach within a post-modern social constructionist theoretical framework was used. In this article one ecological case study from one of the three schools was used to explore the aims. Discourse analysis was used in the construction of the various discourses emerging from the conversations. The participants’ ideas around bullying are described, focusing on the discourse themes of “community and bullying”, “profile of teachers in the community”, “bad child, good child”, “undefined problems” and “family discord”. The aim of this article is to provide an ecological description of bullying, through discourse, in the context of this case study by exploring the participants’ ideas on and experience of bullying in a primary school situated in the township of Mamelodi. Implications for intervention are considered.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_sapsyc.htm

Sugar daddies and blessers : a contextual study of transactional sexual interactions among young girls and older men

This mixed method study aimed to gather a contextual understanding of the perspectives of young girls in South Africa with regard to transactional sexual interactions between older men and young girls. Two major narratives of the “sugar daddy” phenomenon have dominated the public discourse on the topic. One emphasises the girls' vulnerability and experience of victimisation, whereas the other highlights their role as social agents with control in such interactions. In this study, the participants acknowledged the heterogeneity among partners in such interactions, which suggests that the phenomenon of “sugar daddies” cannot be explained by a simple narrative. The girls' experiences form a continuum based on the degree of their individual control and the extent of their vulnerability in such an interaction. Contextual factors and social norms influence decisions and experiences in these interactions. The study concludes that these relationships form part of the girls' daily experiences of structural violence as well as gender inequality and can be regarded as a symptom of broader societal structures and norms. Quantitative data investigate the mental health status of the participants, whereas an essentialist/realist thematic analysis of qualitative data explores experiences and perceptions of the girls.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/casp2019-09-01ksb2018Psycholog

Handboek as gespreksgenoot

Undergraduate teaching in psychology relies heavily on textbooks. Once the text-book has been selected, lecturers tend to relax. Modern textbooks include ready-made slides and test banks. All the information the student needs to know is thus packaged, illustrated, colourful and ready. This article questions whether learning is a mere transfer of the contents of the textbook to the student's mind. It would be more benefical if academics could view knowledge and learning from a postmodern, social constructionist perspective. This would imply a view of learning as a conversation rather than a linear process. This article proposes to take the 'text' out of the textbook and to engage with it together with other texts such as tests, class material and conversations in a larger context.Voorgraadse sielkunde-onderrig leun swaar op handboeke. Sodra die handboek voorgeskryf is, is dosente geneig om te ontspan. Moderne handboeke sluit klaargemaakte dia’s sowel as klaargemaakte toetsitembanke in. Al die inligting wat die student moet ken is dus verpak, geïllustreer, kleurvol en gereed. Hierdie artikel bevraagteken egter of die leerproses slegs bestaan uit die oordrag van inligting uit die handboek na die student se verstand. Dit mag meer nuttig wees indien akademici die leerproses beskou vanuit ’n postmoderne, sosiaal konstruktivistiese oogpunt. Dit impliseer dat leer as ’n gesprek eerder as ’n liniêre proses beskou word. Die artikel stel voor dat die handboek as teks tesame met ander tekste soos toetse, klasmateriaal en gesprekke, binne ’n groter konteks, gebruik word