Die eietydse weergawe van tradisionele sprokies en die feminisme se invloed daarop

M.A.The success of a child's development from egocentricity to a broader socialization largely depends on the experiences of early childhood. The potential formative value of children's literature has repeatedly been proven by research. Being a cornerstone of children's literary heritage, the fairy tale has led to research being done from various perspectives. The tendency towards contemporary versions of traditional fairy tales has brought a new dimension to this genre and offers a field of research which up to now has been unexplored in South Africa. Apart from keeping them commercially viable, the various techniques used in contemporary versions can also transform them into podiums from which ideologies and viewpoints, feminism included, can be conveyed to children. With this in mind the study was undertaken by means of a literature survey. It concentrates on the different aspects concerning typical characteristics and the possible influence of fairy tales on children. Examples of contemporary versions readily available ill South Africa are discussed. The research has shown concern within feminist circles about possible sexist stereotypes which are brought across in children's literature, including traditional fairy tales, and the possible dangers it holds for the socialization of children. The feminist pursuit of a balanced portrayal of women in children's literature has led to the appearance of many contemporary versions of fairy tales in which the image of the traditional passive heroine is transformed, either subtly or radically. Research concerning the impact of these non-sexist versions on children and their acceptance or rejection of it, is limited and the results are inconclusive. The research has also touched upon the polemic surrounding the rewriting of traditional fairy tales in order to accommodate modern viewpoints. The possible danger involving biased interpretation of a diverse traditional literary genre has also been highlighted

Welfare practice in response of child neglect: reconstruction and analysis of the discourses on family, childrearing, and motherhood

Child neglect is an ongoing social problem, estimated to affect 5 - 10 per cent of children. The term neglect describes a behavior that deviates from an ideal norm. However, both the form of this ideal norm and the definition of deviation depend on contemporary discourses and scientific positions. Historically, it has been more frequently poor families and single mothers who have been disciplined for child neglect by the state, whilst their economic situation was marginalized. Parallel current findings raise questions regarding how these discourses form, how they influence decision-making processes, and whether a continuity can be ascertained in measures of social disciplining. Our ongoing research project on welfare practice in response of child neglect aims to reconstruct and analyze current discourses on family, childrearing, and motherhood in the context of child neglect. Taking a multi-perspectival approach, it will analyze and compare the expert discourse, the political/public discourse, and the perspective of affected mothers across two different time periods in five selected Swiss cantons. Preliminary findings indicate that gender categories, especially motherhood, continue to be of great importance. On the basis of a first analysis of casefiles, one could speak of a “motherism”: in case processing and in the course of the case, responsibility is attributed to the mother, and social and pedagogical contexts are neglected, even the financial situation seems to be given less importance. Instead, the willingness to cooperate often seems to be a key factor in deciding on further interventions. Furthermore, there are indications that in decision-making processes with far-reaching consequences, legal arguments are preferred while childrearing aspects are neglected. It can also be noted that normative and sometimes stigmatizing statements do not seem to belong to the past. In this article, we will give insight into the research design and first findings and discuss the necessity of reflecting on the images of family, childrearing, and motherhood in light of the rapid social changes in the spheres of family, motherhood, and fatherhood

The Strategic Meaning of CBCA Criteria From the Perspective of Deceivers

In 2014, Volbert and Steller introduced a revised model of Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA) that grouped a modified set of content criteria in closer reference to their assumed latent processes, resulting in three dimensions of memory-related, script-deviant and strategy-based criteria. In this model, it is assumed that deceivers try to integrate memory-related criteria—but will not be as good as truth tellers in achieving this—whereas out of strategic considerations they will avoid the expression of the other criteria. The aim of the current study was to test this assumption. A vignette was presented via an online-questionnaire to inquire how participants (n = 135) rate the strategic value of CBCA criteria on a five-point scale. One-sample t-tests showed that participants attribute positive strategic value to most memory-related criteria and negative value to the remaining criteria, except for the criteria self-deprecation and pardoning the perpetrator. Overall, our results corroborated the model's suitability in distinguishing different groups of criteria—some which liars are inclined to integrate and others which liars intend to avoid—and in this way provide useful hints for forensic practitioners in appraising the criteria' diagnostic value

Outpatient Therapists’ Perspectives on Working with Persons Who Are Sexually Interested in Minors

Minor-attracted persons (MAPs; i.e., people who are sexually interested in children and adolescents below the age threshold of legal consent for sexual activity) exhibit high psychological distress but report difficulties finding therapeutic help and are reluctant to start treatment due to fears of therapist stigmatization. This research sought to elucidate the link between outpatient therapists’ stigmatizing attitudes towards non-offending vs. offending MAPs and therapists’ willingness to treat MAPs as well as how stigmatization was related to treatment-relevant aspects such as perceived MAP treatment needs, treatment barriers, and specific MAP treatment skills. Results from a brief, anonymous online survey conducted among N = 427 Swiss outpatient therapists working in the primary healthcare system are reported. Although therapists were less stigmatizing than the general public, considerable individual differences in the stigmatization of non-offending MAPs emerged. Stigmatizing attitudes towards non-offending MAPs and a perceived lack of specific treatment competences were negatively related to therapists’ willingness to treat MAPs. A network analysis revealed direct links between subjectively perceived MAP treatment competence and treatment willingness and between treatment willingness and social distance attitudes. Other stigmatizing attitudes were only indirectly linked to treatment willingness through preferred social distance. It is a paradox that therapists believe that MAPs should greatly benefit from secondary prevention but many are unwilling to provide therapy (45% in case of non-offending MAPs vs. 63% in case of offending MAPs) or do not feel competent to provide MAPs with professional help (47% with and 88% of therapists without previous MAP treatment experience). Implications for increasing therapists’ treatment willingness are discussed