Resilience and whistleblowers : coping with the consequences

Abstract: Understanding the whistleblower’s ability to cope with the repercussions of showing ‘ethical resistance’ in the workplace is a neglected area of research. Drawing on qualitative data from narrative interviews with whistleblowers in South Africa, this article analyses the ways in which whistleblowers deal with the hostile responses from employers that tend to follow their disclosures. Most of the participants employed successful coping mechanisms showing that they remained hopeful that justice would prevail, even amidst emotions of distress and fear due to organizational reprisal. This study shows that the resilience perspective is an important frame for understanding whistleblowers’ responses to the challenging consequences of their actions. Practitioners should consider ways to enhance individual resilience to ensure a positive outcome of disclosures of organizational wrongdoing

Measuring health-related quality of life: a comparison between people living with AIDS and police on active duty: research

The escalating rate of AIDS-related deaths in South Africa has led to an increase in social scientific research on the perceptions and experiences of people suffering from AIDS by focusing on their physical health and emo- tional well-being. The aim of this study was to measure and compare the quality of life of two sample groups in South Africa, namely members of the police on active duty, as an example of a healthy population, and people living with AIDS. The SF-36 questionnaire was used as measuring instrument to assess the respondents(tm) perceptions of their own health-related quality of life. From the research, which was based on a comparative approach, it was found that statistically significant differences existed between people living with AIDS and members of the police force in respect of their scores on all eight of the SF-36 domains (p < 0.05). The biggest difference between the AIDS respondents and members of the police occurred in the emotional roles limitation dimension, followed by the physical functioning and the bodily pain dimensions. Intervention programmes that are aimed at contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people suffering from AIDS, therefore need to incorporate mechanisms that provide support in all eight of the quality-of-life dimensions. Die styging in die getal VIGS-verwante sterftes in Suid-Afrika het gelei tot 'n toename in sosiaalwetenskaplike navorsing oor die persepsies en belewenisse van mense met VIGS, met die fokus op hul fisieke gesondheid en emosionele welsyn. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die lewenskwaliteit van twee groepe in Suid-Afrika te meet en met mekaar te vergelyk. Hierdie twee groepe het enersyds uit lede van die polisie in aktiewe diens, as voorbeeld van (tm)n gesonde populasie en andersyds uit mense met VIGS bestaan. Die SF-36-vraelys is as meetinstrument gebruik om die respondente se persepsies van hul gesondheidsverwante lewenskwaliteit te assesseer. Op grond van hierdie navorsing, wat op (tm)n vergelykende benadering berus het, is bevind dat mense met VIGS en lede van die polisiemag se onderskeie tellings op al agt SF-36-domeine (p < 0.05) beduidend verskil het. Die grootste verskil tussen die persepsies van die respondente met VIGS en di&#3619;&#3593; van lede van die polisiemag het op die emosionele rolbeperkingsdomein gel&#3619;&#3594;, gevolg deur die domeine van fisieke funksionering en liggaamlike pyn. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat intervensieprogramme wat die welsyn van VIGS-lyers wil bevorder, meganismes moet inkorporeer wat ondersteuning in al agt lewenskwaliteitsdomeine bied. Health SA Gesondheid Vol.9(2) 2004: 31-4

‘New fatherhood’ - fact or fiction? The perceptions and experiences of fathers in South Africa

During the past two decades, fatherhood has become an increasingly important issue, not only in scholarly debates but also in popular forums in South Africa. This article reports on some findings of a quantitative study, undertaken in the Gauteng province of South Africa, that aimed to shed light on the extent to which men are embracing the “new fatherhood” culture and have become active, nurturant fathers. Although men are becoming more actively involved in child-care, many still find it difficult to manifest high levels of active fatherly involvement, even if they consider it fair to expect a man to perform active fatherwork and define fatherhood as synonymous with nurturant paternal involvement. The research results also indicate the existence of a positive correlation between a man’s perception of his paternal involvement and his experience of marital quality

Reflecting on Female Beauty: Cosmetic Surgery and (Dis)Empowerment

This project aims to unwrap some of the complexities related to female beauty and the body. It reflects on the second wave radical feminist view that beautifying the female body serves to attract male approval via the male gaze, both of which are deeply entrenched in patriarchal power. This perspective positions cosmetic surgery as a disempowering act for women. In riposte, we turn to third wave liberal feminist ideas to engage with the narratives of ten participants who tell of their personal experiences of, and motivations for, undergoing a cosmetic intervention. We undertake an in-depth exploration of these lifeworld experiences and the interplay of subjectivity and intersubjectivity in the women’s encounters. Findings suggest that a cosmetic intervention is often obtained for the self as opposed to satisfying the “other.” Importantly, cosmetic interventions allow a process to occur in which an individual’s physical body becomes better aligned to her sense of self. From this liberal feminist perspective, cosmetic surgery is positioned as an empowering act.Dziekan Wydziału Ekonomiczno-Socjologicznego (B18112CZAS1175.01; MPK: 2122524000)

Beauty and the Cosmetic Secret

Cosmetic surgery is often linked to the perception that women who resort to cosmetic interventions to alter their physical appearance are vain, superficial, and narcissistic. Few investigations have acknowledged and explored the individual’s personal motivations and experiences of her action and choice with regards to aesthetic surgery. By focusing on subjective experience, alternative insights can be gained on the cosmetic procedure(s) and on how their reshaped body influences an individual’s lifeworld experience. The article explores the perceived benefits and consequences of reshaping, enhancing, and/or reducing a perceived flaw or shortcoming of the body. From this exploration the focus moves to the individual’s subjective and intersubjective perceptions: how she motivates and justifies her physical transformation whilst keeping private, and at times hiding, her surgical intervention. Drawing on narratives from several women, we attempt to understand how they experience cosmetic surgery in terms of their personal sense of self and their everyday social reality.Dziekan Wydziału Ekonomiczno-Socjologicznego (B18112CZAS1175.01; MPK: 2122524000)

'Trying to make South Africa my home’ : integration into the host society and the well-being of refugee families

During the past two decades South Africa has increasingly become a host society for many forcibly displaced families from across the sub-Saharan region. This article draws on some of the findings of a qualitative study with the aim to investigate the impact of forced migration on the daily lives of refugee women and their families as well as their experiences in trying to integrate into the host society. The research population constitutes refugees from the conflict ridden countries of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe who reside in the inner-city areas of Tshwane and Johannesburg. Ager and Strang's (2008) conceptual framework, which uses indicators of integration experiences, proved useful as an analytical lens. In discussing the findings specific reference is made to (a) markers and means of integration, (b) processes of social connection, and (c) facilitators of integration. The data revealed that Zimbabwean respondents and their families were slightly better off than the Congolese and Burundian participants in terms of social connection and means to achieve integration into the South African host society

‘New fatherhood’ - fact or fiction? The perceptions and experiences of fathers in South Africa

During the past two decades, fatherhood has become an increasingly important issue, not only in scholarly debates but also in popular forums in South Africa. This article reports on some findings of a quantitative study, undertaken in the Gauteng province of South Africa, that aimed to shed light on the extent to which men are embracing the “new fatherhood” culture and have become active, nurturant fathers. Although men are becoming more actively involved in child-care, many still find it difficult to manifest high levels of active fatherly involvement, even if they consider it fair to expect a man to perform active fatherwork and define fatherhood as synonymous with nurturant paternal involvement. The research results also indicate the existence of a positive correlation between a man’s perception of his paternal involvement and his experience of marital quality

Die veranderende rol van die man in die dubbelinkomstegesin

D.Litt. et Phil.In recent research studies that have been done within the cadre of family sociology, researchers have emphasised the fact that the role of the man in the family is an important topic. This interest in the role of the husband/father has been facilitated by significant trends and changes of our time, manifesting world-wide, as well as in South Africa. These trends, such as the continuous rise in the rate of married women entering the labour market and the accompanying issues raised by changes in terms of the spouses' participation in household and childcare responsibilities, affect family life extensively. More researchers and theorists are now focussing on the shift from the man's role in the family as sole breadwinner to that of the active nurturant father within the context of a marital relationship characterised by companionship and an equal partnership between the spouses. For several decades the focus in South Africa, as in the case of other countries, fell on the increasing interface between work and family life, within the work/family spillover model, as experienced by the working married woman and how her marital and familial relationships are influenced by it. While it is clear from these research results, especially from those studies conducted in South Africa, that most men are no longer the sole or primary breadwinner in the family, it is less clear what new patterns of commitment and involvement these men are developing with regard to their family life. A related methodological shortcoming of sociological research on the husband/father role to date is that much of these research projects have relied on the wife/mother's report on her husband's attitude towards domestic responsibilities, his spousal and paternal conduct and the quality of the father-child relationship. As a result of this perspective on the changing role of the husband/father, the question arose as to what the situation in South Africa might be. The aim of this research was to shed light on the man's perception of his roles as husband and father in the dual-earner family and to what extent this perception may or may not stand in relationship to his experience of marital integration. In this quantitative research project the respondents were selected from the Gauteng area by means of purposive and snowball sampling

Huweliksintegrasie en beroepsatisfaksie van die blanke werkende getroude vrou

M.A.One of the most significant trends of our time, manifesting world wide as well as in South Africa and affecting family life extensively, is the continuous rise in the rate of married women entering the labour market. The increasing interface between work and family life, within the work/ family spillover model, has led to the conventional belief that female employment, due to the stress within the work-situation, and marital dissolution are causally related. In more recent studies however, researchers are no longer concentrating only on the detrimental effects of the dual-earner family lifestyle, but are increasingly investigating intervening variables which alleviate stress in dual-earner families and which could actually contribute to higher experience of marital integration and quality. As a result of this perspective on family life of the working married woman, the question arose as to what the situation in this regard in South Africa may be. The aim with this research was to determine the nature of the mediating influence of intervening variables on the correlation between the woman's participation in the labour market and her experience of marital integration. Respondents from Johannesburg, East Rand, West Rand and Pretoria were selected by means of purposive and snowball sampling. A total of 300 respondents completed a questionnaire, which included items on biographical information and Likert type questions regarding the respondents' experiences of both family and work related aspects. In order to measure these aspects, eight scales were developed by means of factor analysis and item analysis, namely the respondent's experience of her husband's performance of domestic obligations; her husband's care-taking of the children; her husband's performance of emotion work; her commitment to growth in the marriage; her experience of marital integration; her involvement in her work; her experience of occupational stress; and occupational satisfaction. An analysis was made to determine the differences between groups that can be divided into more numerous discreet categories, by making use of multivariate and one-way analysis of variance and Scheffe's paired comparisons, as well as Hotelling T 2 and t-tests and Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients. Three regression models were developed in order to determine the predictors of marital integration, involvement in work and occupational satisfaction. The following results regarding the family related scales were found: Respondents experience their husbands' performance of emotion work to a greater degree, than their husbands' performance of domestic obligations and care-taking of the children. In comparison with the other scales, the respondent's experience of her husband's performance of emotion work indicated the highest statistical significant correlation with her experience of marital integration. Therefore the husband's performance of emotion work may be considered as a very important variable in predicting the working wife's experience of marital integration. In the case of the correlation between the family related and the work related scales, it was found that, unlike the respondent's experience of occupational stress, both the respondent's commitment to work and her experience of occupational satisfaction indicated a statistical significant correlation with her experience of marital integration. By means of path analysis, it was possible to determine that in both the models for path analysis in the case of marital integration (endogenous variable) and involvement in work (exogenous variable), -and in—the case—of marital—integration (endogenous variable) and occupational satisfaction (exogenous variable),, in the event of controlling for the family related variables, the partial correlations between marital integration and involvement in work, as well as between marital integration and occupational satisfaction, declined. Therefore it may be said that the family related variables, namely the respondent's commitment to growth in the marriage; her experience of her husband's performance of emotion work; her experience of her husband's care-taking of the children; and her experience of her husband's performance of domestic obligations, may lead to an enhancement of the working married woman's experience of marital integration. Knowledge of these intervening variables may not only help the dual-earner family in coping with the strenuous dilemmas, but may actually contribute to a better marital and familial relationship