Domestic Work as Decent Work: An Empirical Test of the Predictors of Decent Work To Extend the Psychology of Working Theory

The Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) focuses specifically on the work-based experiences of low-income workers. It is thus a suitable theoretical framework to predict and explain the work experiences of individuals performing domestic work, one of the largest work sectors in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the theoretically derived predictors of decent work, in the PWT, could be empirically supported. Domestic workers, in Cape Town and Johannesburg, participated in a self-report survey (N = 139), which consisted of several measures. These participants were accessed through a variety of convenience and snowball sampling techniques. As expected, exploratory factor analysis revealed that the scales used to measure marginalisation, economic constraints, work volition and proactive personality were one-dimensional, and the decent work scale was fivedimensional (complementary values, access to health care, adequate compensation, free time and rest, and safe work conditions). Unexpectedly, the social support scale showed two dimensions (i.e. support from the community or friends and support from a special person or family). The findings supported the proposition that greater economic constraints were related to less decent work experiences, but marginalisation experiences were not related to the degree to which work was seen as decent, nor to work volition (mediator variable). The non-significant relationship between marginalisation, work volition and decent work changed when considering proactiveness as a moderator, however, this was only at low levels of proactiveness. None of the dimensions of social support served as moderators, though social support from the community or friends predicted work volition, and social support from a special person or family predicted the degree to which domestic workers experienced their work as decent. While there were mixed results, the findings of this study suggest that the PWT's antecedents and moderators may work differently in the domestic work sector. Future research should investigate this in the domestic work sector and other low-income samples

The holding environment : challenges in the containment of a patient with borderline personality disorder

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-74).This qualitative study used a single case study method to explore the therapeutic relationship between the researcher and a client diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder. The aim of this study was to examine what it entailed to establish a foundation stable enough to support the client as she challenged the rules set up to protect the therapeutic space. A hermeneutic - psychoanalytic analysis of session notes taken over the course of the one year treatment was used to make sense of the symbolic enactments occurring between the researcher and her client. This contributed to a deeper understanding of what it meant to provide a therapeutic holding environment for someone with a pattern of instability of relating to others and viewing herself

How school governing bodies in South Africa understand and respond to HIV / AIDS

As the pandemic of HIV / AIDS increases daily and the epidemic in the Republic of South Africa is one of the worst in the world, causes and consequences of HIV / AIDS remain contested among political and medical elites in this country. It is indicated that school management and governance are not au fait with the legal requirements to deal with this disease and, in many cases, are still ignoring the existence of the disease. I argue that knowledge of the causes and consequences of HIV / AIDS and a positive management of pupils with HIV / AIDS would help to prevent the spreading of this disease. South African Journal of Education Vol. 23(3) 2003: 242-24

Revisiting the role of the ‘expert other’ in learners’ acquisition of workplace competence

Skills development policies in South Africa and further afield consider learning in and from the workplace as critical to the training of artisans at intermediate level, bringing together theoretical learning undertaken in formal institutions and practical, on-the-job training for the purpose of achieving occupational competence, demonstrated ultimately in the prescribed trade test. Ellstrom (2001) asserts that “in spite of a widespread belief in the importance of integrating learning and work, little is known about the conditions that promote such integration” (p.421). While apprenticeship training has a long history in South Africa, and historical anecdotal accounts exist of the workplace experiences of trainee artisans, there are only a few recent local empirical studies that have advanced our understanding of this domain. This research thus sought to investigate learning in the workplace from the perspective of the candidates: the methodologies, practices, and affordances for learning which they perceived to be available to them, and employed a qualitative approach for exploring how candidates in engineering trades experienced the ‘real world environment’ of learning and engagement in the workplace. The juxtaposition of complementary theories that lent themselves to explaining workplace learning phenomena, in particular the works of Engeström (1987); Vygotsky (1978); and Lave and Wenger (1991), formed a richly informative system for the data which showed that candidates experienced diverse learning modalities and affordances in their workplace settings. However, the central role of the expert artisan as a quintessential didactic practitioner in moving candidates towards competence was a significant finding, pointing ultimately to the need for collective effort in harnessing the teaching potential of this ‘expert other’.DHE

Hoofdtrekken der wijsgerige problematiek in de hedendaagse mens-beschouwing*

De geschiedenis der wijsbegeerte valt slechts met vrucht te bestuderen, wanneer men bij haar tijdstroomingen en typen onderscheidt. Tijdstroomingen treden achtereenvolgens op; de onderlinge verscheidenheid der typen daarentegen is die van denkers binnen dezelfde tijdstrooming. Ook de problematiek van die twee verschilt: de tijdstroomingen wijken onderling van elkander af in het antwoord op de vraag naar de plaats der wet, de typen echter door een grooter of kleiner verschil met betrekking tot de leer van de verticale structuur der dingen. Het minimum van historicale acribie vergt hier daarom de determineering van een conceptie naar tijdstroom en type

Rheumatologists, take heart! We may be doing something right

In the present issue of Arthritis Research & Therapy data are presented suggesting that antirheumatic therapies decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The QUEST-RA group, a large international collaboration, analyzed data on 4,363 patients in a cross-sectional manner. Traditional risk factors were all significantly associated with cardiovascular events, and the presence of extraarticular disease significantly increased the risk, confirming a previous publication. The most interesting analysis in this study suggests that effective antirheumatic treatment, with traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), glucocorticoids, or anti-TNF biologics, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis. Some methodological issues are discussed, however, and confirmatory studies are suggested

School safety in rural schools: are schools as safe as we think they are?

In this study we explain the general legal principles that concern safety in schools and requirements with which schools should comply. Safety of learners, both physical and psychological, is researched as a phenomenon that cannot be ensured properly without effective management and planning. The subjects are principals in rural public primary schools in the Soutpansberg East Circuit of the Northern Province. The literature studies indicated a general rule that as school neighbourhoods become more and more violent, schools are also directly or indirectly affected. Creating safe schools involves designing various safety awareness programmes and strategies, as well as mobilising school support networks. Principals ought to have a knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation and also have the skills to implement legislations and policies. The interview responses indicate that safety strategies and programmes that are applied to provide a peaceful school environment in the area are not sufficient and should be improved. (South African Journal of Education: 2002 22(4): 313-318

Learners' right to freedom of written expression

Although the primary purpose of schools is to educate, it has long been understood that education consists of more than the development of academic skills and the accumulation of knowledge. One of the central purposes of schools in a democratic society is to encourage the critical and independent thinking necessary for effective participation as citizens. Schools have a further duty to teach respect for the rights of all members of society, as spelled out in the preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. An important aspect of education about the rights and duties that underpin citizenship is to learn both the use of, and the appropriate limits upon, freedom of expression essential to a functioning democracy. In this article we look at problems that may arise in connection with written expression by learners in schools, including the publishing of school newspapers and the distribution of unauthorized publications on school premises. It is argued that school authorities should act proactively and develop a prior approval policy for publications that could be construed as representing the viewpoint of the school. However, such procedures may not be overly broad nor overly restrictive. A clear policy should be developed about the disciplinary consequences, for learners as well as school staff, of expression within the school or in the context of school-sponsored activities which are disruptive of the educational mission of the school or violates the norms established by section 16(2) of the Constitution. South African Journal of Education Vol.24(2) 2004: 148-15

A review of luteinizing hormone and its role in ovarian reserve testing

Background: Ovarian physiology illustrates the synergistic interaction between luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone in the process of folliculogenesis. While follicle stimulating hormone has been well established as a marker of ovarian reserve, the role of luteinizing hormone has remained somewhat controversial and it seems to have become the ‘forgotten gonadotropin’. The following review aims to investigate the available evidence surrounding luteinizing hormone as an ovarian reserve test and examine the issues which need to be addressed in order to establish it as an ovarian reserve test. It then further attempts to propose a model to direct effective research to ascertain if it does have a role to play in ovarian reserve testing.Findings: The evidence is equivocal in the use of luteinizing hormone as an independent predictor of ovarian reserve. However, there is much stronger evidence to suggest that the follicle stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone ratio is a useful marker of ovarian reserve- in particular when it is ≥2 and approaching 3. The evidence base for this ratio at present however is sparse. In addition, ovarian reserve tests are fraught with issues over reliability, accuracy, definition and the implications of testing itself. In order to overcome these issues, more quality research needs to be carried out to test this relationship between luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone