An investigation into the psychological Impact of unemployment Within a group of unemployed Working class and middle class individuals

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych30% of the country's population are currently unemployed and this statistic is increasing steadily. Further deterioration of the South African economy and increased unemployment, is likely to increase social instability and continue to marginalise a major proportion of society. Global economic downturn as well as the crash of the Asian economies in the mid-1990's resulted in job losses for both the working class and middle class sectors of society. The literature however suggests that the effects of unemployment are likely to be experienced differently by working and middle class individuals. This reiterates the argument that the unemployed should not be perceived as a homogenous group. The study utilises a broad epistemological framework of social constructionism and employs the theoretical assumptions of Marxism as the theoretical basis for the research

Substitute addictions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

The global spread of COVID-19, subsequent stay-at-home requirements, spatial distancing measures, and long-term isolation present additional challenges for persons in recovery. Using an illustrative case from South Africa, we discuss COVID-19 related pornography use through the lens of relapse and substitute addiction. South Africa is the epicenter of the pandemic in Africa, and has issued an alcohol and cigarette ban. Historical examples suggest that responses to forced abstinence may include compliance and abstinence, but also seeking alternatives to the original addiction and substitution. Substitution of alternative activities/objects may provide similar appetitive effects to fill the void of the terminated addictive behavior, temporarily or in the long-term. While substitutes do not necessarily portend a relapse, coupled with isolation and reduced recovery support, they can potentiate relapse to the former or ‘new’ addictive behavior. Addiction professionals should be aware of the potential for such negative impacts during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Children’s subjective well-being: Multi-group analysis among a sample of children from two socio-economic status groups in the Western Cape, South Africa

Recent advancements in child well-being research have shown an increased importance of subjective well-being in understanding children and adolescents’ quality of life. These advancements have raised questions concerning the extent to which children’s subjective perceptions and experiences of well-being can be compared between countries and across diverse cultures. With a dearth of empirical data on cross-cultural comparisons, the validation of existing measures and cross-cultural comparisons have been identified by a number of researchers as critical in contributing to this process, and ultimately to the international dialogue on children’s overall quality of life. The aim of the current study was to test two measures of subjective well-being (the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale and the Personal Well-Being Index-School Children) among a sample of children in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Noting the diversity of living experiences between children from different socio-economic status groups in South Africa, the study further aimed to determine the extent to which the measures are comparable across socio-economic status groups. Data from the first wave of the Children’s World Survey were used; and included a sample of 1004 12 year old children randomly selected from 15 schools within the Cape Town Metropole. Located within the goodness of fit theoretical framework, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling was used to test the overall fit structure; while multi-group factor analysis was used to test measurement invariance across socio-economic status groups. The results show appropriate fit structure for the overall model, with metric and scalar factor invariance tenable across socio-economic status groups. The overall findings suggest that the two measures are appropriate for use with children from low and middle socio-economic status groups in the Western Cape province of South Africa and that the two groups can be compared by correlations, regressions and means.IS

The use of visual methods to explore how children construct and assign meaning to the ''self'' within two urban communities in the Western Cape, South Africa

This study aimed to explore how children construct and assign meaning to the ''self'' within two urban communities of Cape Town in South Africa. Using a child participation methodological framework data were collected using Photovoice and community maps with 54 participants between the ages of 9 and 12. Feelings of safety, social connectedness, and children's spaces were found to be central to the ways in which the participants constructed and assigned meaning to the ''self.'' The study provides implications for intervention programmes aimed at improving children's well-being to be inclusive of activities aimed at improving children's self-concept, including the construction of safe spaces for children to play, learn, and form meaningful relationships

Children’s discourses of natural spaces: considerations for children’s subjective well-being

Based on the evidence provided in the literature, it is manifest that increased time spent in nature increases various aspects of children’s well-being. Using discourse analysis on focus group interviews with 28 children between the ages of 12 and 14 years old from three socio-economically diverse communities in the Western Cape of South Africa, the study aimed to explore how children construct and assign meaning to natural spaces. More specifically the study explored how children use specific discursive resources and repertoires to construct and assign meaning to their engagement with natural spaces, and the extent to which this influences their subjective well-being. Several pertinent discourses emerged from the participants’ accounts within four themes of: Safety and natural spaces, Appreciation for natural spaces, Degradation of Nature: Thinking environmentally, acting pro-environmentally, and Natural spaces and children’s subjective well-being. The study highlights the critical role that children’s engagement in natural spaces has on their subjective well-being, and how these benefits can be harnessed to better children’s overall quality of life.IS

Validation of the children’s hope scale amongst a sample of adolescents in the Western Cape Region of South Africa

A growing body of research has provided evidence for the cognitive-motivational construct of hope as a psychological strength, particularly for adolescents confronted with ensuing adverse conditions. Given the dearth of research on hope in South Africa, the aim of the current study was to validate Snyder’s Children’s Hope Scale within this context. A cross sectional survey design was used to collect data from a sample of 1022 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 (449 males and 573 females) attending high schools within the Western Cape geographical region of South Africa. The sample was selected using a two-stage stratified random sampling protocol, with socio-economic status (low, medium and high) as the defining variable. Data were collected using Snyder’s (1997) Children’s Hope Scale which was adapted to the South African context and translated into Afrikaans. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to analyse the data. The results indicate good fit indices for the overall model with two error co-variances (x2 =35.692; df=7; p=0.00; CFI=0.984; RMSEA=0.063; SRMR=0.023). Multi-group analysis with constrained factor loadings and intercepts show good fit across socio-economic status groups which indicate that these groups can be compared by correlations, regressions and means. The overall findings suggest that the Children’s Hope Scale is an appropriate measure for use in the South African context

Influences on life aspirations among adolescents in a low-income community in Cape Town, South Africa

The aim of this study was to determine the influences on adolescents’ aspirations from a low-income community in Cape Town. A sequential mixed method exploratory design was used following two distinct phases. The qualitative phase comprised focus group interviews with 118 grade 12 learners attending a school in a low-income community (age range: 16–19 years) and focused on identifying factors influencing life aspirations. The quantitative phase with 191 adolescents (males = 54.45 %, females = 45.55 %); age range: 14–18 years) from the same community aimed to ascertain the influences of personal attributes on self-aspirations. Participants completed the Expectations/Aspirations measure, the New General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Qualitative data were thematically analysed. Quantitative data were analysed using multiple regression. The findings revealed that self-efficacy, self-esteem and social support were the most critical factors influencing adolescents’ aspirations. Self-efficacy was a major determinant of life aspirations among the adolescents. Life skills programmes with youth from disadvantaged communities should seek to incorporate training aimed at developing adolescents’ self-efficacy

Children’s discursive constructions of the ‘self’

The ways in which children construct and assign meaning to the ‘self’ could have an impact on their social and emotional well-being, including their coping skills, relationship formation, and behaviour. Furthermore, a child’s understanding of the ‘self’ could influence the way in which they make meaning out of their experiences and internalize these experiences as a means of understanding one’s abilities and self-worth. Conditions of poverty and oppression could negatively impact the development of the self-concept and a child’s overall well-being. Such conditions exist in South Africa, where the aftermath of apartheid’s system of structural racism continues in the form of social inequity, poverty, and violence. This study utilized a child participation framework to explore children’s discursive constructions of and meanings assigned to the ‘self’ within two urban communities of the Western Cape, South Africa. Eight focus group discussions were conducted amongst fifty-four children between the ages of nine to twelve. Thematic and discourse analysis were used to analyse the findings. The themes of childhood, social connectedness, and children’s spaces were identified as key influences on a child’s self-concept. Four underlying discourses emerged within the themes as central to the participant’s self-constructions. These included; (1) ‘forfeited childhood,’ (2) ‘vulnerability and helplessness,’ (3) ‘preserving the integrity of the self,’ and (4) opportunitiwes for escape.

An exploration into the impact of exposure to community violence and hope on children's perceptions of well-being: a South African perspective

The study aims to explore the relationship between exposure to community violence, hope, and well-being. More specifically, the study aims to ascertain whether hope is a stronger predictor of well-being than exposure to violence. Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 566 adolescents aged 14–17 years, from both high violence and low violence areas in Cape Town, South Africa. A questionnaire consisting of Snyder’s Children’s Hope Scale, the Recent Exposure to Violence Scale and the KIDSCREEN-52 was used. Data analysis techniques included descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regression. A positive, significant relationship was found between children’s hope and their well-being. Although exposure to community violence was found to be significantly correlated with wellbeing, the relationship was negligible.While exposure to community violence and hope were found to be significant predictors of well-being, hope emerged as a stronger predictor of child well-being than exposure to community violence.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Children’s perspectives on scale response options of subjective well-being measures: A comparison between numerical and verbal-response formats

It is crucial to establish the validity of existing measures of children’s subjective well-being (SWB) for use within specific contexts. Two important measurement issues that implicate the validly of SWB scales are ‘question framing’ and ‘response options’. Fundamental to the latter is the concept of scale granularity, which refers to the number of response options imposed on a scale. However, the majority of studies on the topic have used adult and not child samples. The overarching aim of the study was to explore how children from three different contexts (Catalonia, Cape Town and North-Western Romania) perceive, understand, and make sense of SWB instruments, using focus group interviews and thematic analysis. A key finding of the study was the similarities in children’s understandings of the response options across these contexts. While this does not represent a claim for a ‘universal understanding’ of measurement scale response formats, it is suggesting that there are similar cognitive processes that children across the contexts apply when making sense of and deciding on which response option to endorse (for both verbal and numerical formats)