Browsing by Author "Cartwright, Duncan James."

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The adjustment experiences of the aged when entering a retirement home in South Africa.
(2021) Bussy, Danielle Vivian.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
In our modern society, many elderly people inevitably reach a stage where they have to make the decision to move into a retirement home; which can be a majorly stressful event. Although several overseas studies have explored the adjustment process of the elderly from their previous living situations (either independent or inter-generational living) to a retirement home, literature related to this process for the elderly in South Africa is limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the adjustment experiences of the elderly (persons aged 65 and above) into a retirement home in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative descriptive approach; with a group of ten elderly people (four men and six women) participating in an hour long, semi-structured interview with the researcher at BBGE (name protected for confidentiality) retirement home, Durban, South Africa, to make sense of their adjustment experiences. Research questions aimed to understand; how the elderly made sense of their experiences moving into the home, how they described challenges faced in the process, as well as how the adjustment experience impacted their sense of self-definition and interpersonal relatedness. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data gathered in interviews. The findings were filtered into eight super-ordinate themes namely; moving into the home, dealing with different types of loss, dealing with traumatic ruptures in attachment, changes in understandings of self-identity, relationships within the home, institutional living, mindsets and adjustments, and the South African context. It was found that the adjustment process did not necessarily have a significant impact on the elderly’s self-definition or relatedness from a personality perspective, however, lifelong developments of the elderly’s personality styles had an effect on the adjustment process; by either enabling them to adjust with relative ease, or causing distress and ultimately a failure to adjust into the home adequately.
The application of African psychology to the South African clinical context: a scoping review.
(2021) Kayat, Brandon George.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
This scoping review identifies research on the existing applications of African Psychology to the clinical context in South Africa. This scoping review endorsed the methodology of Arksey and O’Malley (2005) in terms of their six stages of conducting a scoping review. These were identified as the identification of the research question, the identification of literature relevant to this question, the selection of studies through a thorough inclusion and exclusion of sources, the charting of the data, the collection, summarising and reporting of the data and the conducting of a consultation exercise; these were applied accordingly, resulting in 76 sources that were analysed to identify the existing applications, relevant concepts and significant challenges facing African Psychology. Pre-existing applications were observed to include implicit or explicit applications or extensions from African Psychology, adaptations to mainstream models, and the development of unique models endorsing concepts specific to African Psychology (such as uBuntu therapy and Swa Moya), and the collaboration of psychologists with traditional healers, participatory action research, community psychology as well as initiatives in the training of psychologists were also evident. Concepts such as uBuntu, Badimo, uMvelinqanqi, traditional healers and rituals had the highest prevalence in sources embracing African Psychology. In terms of the challenges, multiple definitions and conceptualisations of African Psychology present problems for the standardisation of any particular African Psychology model or framework. Secondly, there exists several epistemological and ontological differences between African and mainstream psychology. This creates a concern for the empirical testing of proposed African Psychology applications in terms of their effectiveness as well as their standardisation. The study found that there remain large gaps in the application of African Psychology to the clinical context, despite the growing interest in African Psychology in South Africa.
Clinical psychologists’ experiences of cross-cultural counselling: benefits and challenges.
(2019) Nkhatho, Moipone Mamahlomola.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
This research study sought to explore clinical psychologists’ experiences of Cross-Cultural Counselling. It sought to understand how clinical psychologists conceptualise culture in the counselling relationship. The study also sought to identify the perceived benefits and challenges faced in cross-cultural counselling as well as establish preferred therapeutic approaches in the South African context. The study used a qualitative research design. Participants were clinical psychologists (n=10) working in Durban. They were purposively sampled. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to solicit views from the participants on their experiences of cross-cultural counselling. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The analysis of data produced the following themes: ‘culture influences counselling’, ‘daily experiences’, ‘multi-layered benefits and challenges’ and ‘diverse therapeutic approaches’. All the participants revealed that in counselling, psychologists work with clients from diverse cultures. The main findings revealed that the perceived benefits include the ability to learn from other people’s perspectives and understanding the context from which people hail and the different systems that influence their worldviews. The analysis revealed that the main challenges were language and punctuality. The researcher recommends deliberate policy supported by the Mental Health Act to aid the efforts of clinical psychologists through awareness campaigns to mitigate cultural barriers.
Contact with the foreigner: a study of intergroup contact with foreign nationals as constructed by black South Africans in Umlazi, G section post 2015 xenophobic attacks.
(2017) Muthwa, Nqobile.; Johns, Lucinda Theresa.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
In intergroup contact literature, the contact hypothesis has been proven to be an effective prejudice reduction tool when contact occurs under optimal conditions (for example: Pettigrew and Troop, 2006). However, research on this theory has continually focused on experimentally manipulated conditions of contact, resulting in research that is decontextualised and that fails to take into account the complex realities of contact in situations of conflict. In this study, intergroup contact was understood as a natural phenomenon and the focus was on understanding how group members constructed contact encounters in a context where issues such as conflict and intergroup violence were lived experiences. This study was conducted in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, an area that was largely affected during the 2015 xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Working models of contact were drawn upon as an analytical framework for this study, in order to gain an understanding of how local residents constructed and made sense of their encounters with foreigners. Observations during the study revealed that local residents largely constructed intergroup contact as an exploitative process on local residents as foreigners were said to be constantly exploiting and taking advantage of local residents. Such a belief of contact allowed local residents to avoid encounters with foreigners; but also allowed group members to render actions, such as violence, towards foreigners as intelligible due to the threat foreigners posed to group members.
Coping mechanisms used by mothers when caring for their adolescent child with cerebral palsy.
(2009) Draper, Sharon.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
This study explores the coping mechanisms of mothers caring for adolescent children with cerebral palsy. This study attempted to address a gap in the literature pertaining to understanding negative and positive ways of coping related to mothers and the specific pr oblems they have to deal with when caring for adolescents with cerebral palsy . The qualitative study foc uses on experiences and feelings directly obtained from mothers and it looked at what coping mechanisms benefit mothers whilst they are caring for their adolescent child with cerebral p alsy, what factors could compromise the mother’s coping style and how adolescence impacts on the mother’s ways of coping. The research revealed that mothers tended to use either emotion - focused ways of coping which was more maladaptive, or problem - focused ways of coping which were more adaptive ways of coping. A number of coping mechanisms were identified which appeared to benefit mothers, some of these include obtaining support from the medical profession as well as obtaining so cial support. The findings illustrated that there were particular ‘poor’ facilitative factors that could compromise the mothers coping style. Facilitative factors either influenced mothers to use more problem - focused ways of coping or more emotion - focused ways of coping. It was found that both these ways of coping were link ed to different defenc e mechan isms. This study found that adolescence placed more stress on the mother since new issues relating to adolescence emerged and had to be managed. The implications of these findings for management and care of mothers in these situations are discussed. It i s hoped that the present findings will contribute to assisting clinicians in being able to focus on the important areas when working in this field.
Copying styles and defense mechanisms in adults vicariuosly exposed to violent crime : an explorative study.
(2009) Lowry, Rosamund.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
The primary objective of this research was to initiate exploratory research into the coping styles and defense mechanisms of adults vicariously exposed to violent crime. This research focused on determining the presence, nature and complexity of symptoms in those vicariously exposed to violent crime. Gaining an understanding of the coping styles and defense mechanisms that individuals who are vicariously exposed to violent crime adopt was also a central focus of this study. A psychodynamic theoretical framework was employed. Situating this research within a broader theory of coping was also necessary. Zeidner and Endler's (1996) integrative conceptual framework was used to understand the coping styles that one adopts as being both dispositional and contextual. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with seven respondents (Wengraf,2001). Ulin et al.'s (2002) method of qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze and interpret data. Emotion-focused coping was found to be the prominent form of coping used by the respondents. It appeared that when problem-focused coping fails to alleviate the individual's anxiety, they then engage in emotion focused coping. Two forms of emotion focused coping were identified: adaptive and pathological emotion focused coping. With regards to vicarious trauma symptoms, a variety of five symptoms were evident across the transcripts. It is also necessary to emphasize that respondents experienced variable combinations of symptoms and generally did not experience all of such symptoms. It was concluded that in the presence of the vicarious exposure to violent crime, participants utilized various defense mechanism (such as: splitting, rationalization, displacement, intellectualization and suppression) which inform their coping style and their experience of symptoms of vicarious trauma.
Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the isiZulu 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale : preliminary findings.
(2020) Daniels, David Christian Anthony.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
According to prevalence studies, 1 in 3 South Africans will present with a diagnosable mental disorder throughout the course of their lifetime, whilst over a given period of 12 months, 1 in 6 South Africans will likely present with a mental disorder that is clinically diagnosable. Given the alarming rates of mental illness in South Africa much attention within the literature has focussed on further understanding both its determinants and associated risk factors. Due to its significant associations with several psychiatric and medical conditions, the subject of alexithymia has advanced these aims in the global literature. However, little research on the subject has been undertaken in South Africa, most likely due to the lack of a validated psychometric assessment for detecting and further investigating the issue of alexithymia among patients. Additionally, research also indicates that the measurement of alexithymia is impacted by sociocultural factors that shape it in part. Consequently, this research aimed to address these issues by undertaking a cross-cultural adaptation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) for an isiZulu-speaking sample of university students and evaluating its psychometric properties. This was achieved through three objectives: (1) cultural adaptation and translation of the TAS-20 into isiZulu; (2) evaluating the psychometric properties of the isiZulu translation of the TAS-20; and (3) exploring variation in scores on the isiZulu TAS-20 by gender. The results of the confirmatory factor analyses suggested best global fit for the standard oblique three-factor model with an additional specified covariance between two indicators. Evaluation of local fit supported meaningful parameter estimates, as well as the convergent and discriminant validity for the DIF and DDF latent factors of the model, but failed to support the validity of the EOT latent factor. Reliability analyses similarly demonstrated acceptable reliability for the total isiZulu TAS-20 scale and the DIF and DDF subscales, but failed to do so for the EOT subscale. Lastly, there was tentative indication of significantly elevated levels of alexithymia among female Zulu participants as compared to male Zulu participants. In conclusion, the psychometric evaluation confirmed the factor structure, but failed to fully support the underlying theoretical relationships in the Zulu culture. In convergence with other studies, these findings suggest that sociocultural factors significantly impact upon the construct and assessment of alexithymia. The study suggests the need for a theoretical reconceptualization of alexithymia, factoring in the role of sociocultural factors.
A dance of power and resistance : supervisee and supervisor perceptions and experiences of clinical supervision in South Africa : a mixed method study.
(2018) Hendricks, Shariefa.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Abstract available in pdf.
Difficulties in knowledge and perceptions of mental illness amongst the student population: perspectives gained from a participatory action research project by Psychology master’s students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2020) Mashabane, Makhosazane Felicia.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Mental illness is currently one of the most concerning and prevalent global health challenges. The researcher undertook this investigation in an attempt to obtain a clearer understanding of the difficulties in knowledge and perceptions of mental illness amongst the student population at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Howard College campus. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) method was implemented to identify the most appropriate method for mental health awareness and to encourage help-seeking behaviour. This mixed method study explores difficulties in perceptions and understandings of University students regarding mental illness; the first phase utilised a sample of 5 participants who formed a focus group. The findings revealed that students’ traditional and cultural beliefs were given the same priority as Western thoughts on mental illness, and treatments were often combined. Difficulties in knowledge and perceptions were found to be attributable to the cultural divide between Western and traditional notions. Participants indicated that their knowledge and perceptions of mental illness was influenced by societal and cultural beliefs. With PAR methodology being employed to develop a mental illness awareness poster and with the impact of exposure to the poster being in a sample of 17 university students (who shared their perceptions and understandings of mental illness pre-and post-exposure to the poster). Study findings suggest that exposure to poster may have been associated with increased knowledge and more informed understandings of mental illness among students surveyed.
Epistemic trust and its utility in the psychotherapeutic context: a scoping review.
(2022) Amar, Francesca Katja Ray.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Epistemic Trust (ET) refers to one’s willingness to acquire new social knowledge from another human as trustworthy, generalizable, and relevant to one’s self. As an emergent term commonly related to mentalization and the work of Fonagy and colleagues, ET has largely been foregrounded as a developmental concept with less focus on its application to treatment and psychotherapeutic concepts. A scoping review was conducted to identify and synthesize emerging evidence from the literature pertaining to the constituent elements of ET, its conceptual understanding, use, validation, and contemporary application within the psychotherapeutic context. Arksey and O'Malley’s (2005) scoping review framework informed the protocol and Rayyan AI software was used to assist with data management and analysis. The initial search yielded 591 sources. After steps of screening and additional searches, a total of 73 sources were included for analysis. Results clarify the conceptual uses of ET relating to the creation of valid measurement tools, as well as theories of psychotherapy and psychopathology. The application of ET in the psychotherapeutic context is reported and discussed in terms of the therapeutic alliance, and as a possible psycho-marker for treatment outcomes. Structural, environmental, theoretical, and therapist-related challenges to the implementation of ET in the psychotherapeutic context are explored in conjunction with gaps in the literature that may serve as springboard for future studies, given that research regarding the use of ET in applied settings is still in its infancy.
Evaluation of the substance abuse programme of the South Coast Recovery Centre, focusing on patients' satisfaction.
(2009) Booyens, Welmi.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Substance abuse has a severe impact on the South African population. Various organizations, governmental and non-governmental, take on the challenge to assist in the treatment of substance abuse. Several gaps have been identified in dealing with substance abuse in South Africa. One of these gaps includes regular audits of treatment services and prevention programmes. One of the major concerns is that most primary prevention programmes appear to be implemented in the absence of evidence on their effectiveness and are mostly implemented on an ad hoc basis. The respondent organizations appear to display a poor understanding of evaluation. It was evident that there is a need for a systematic review of what works in the context of substance abuse prevention among the South African population as well as the development of an effective regulatory regime regarding primary prevention activities. Evaluation can be an important tool to provide monitoring, as well as a tool to identify strengths and weaknesses in treatment programmes. In light of the above, the South Coast Recovery Centre, a substance abuse treatment centre that operates in the private sector, was approached to evaluate the effectiveness of its treatment programme. The research focused on gaining insight into and exploring the strengths and weakness of the programme based on how patients experienced the programme and how satisfied they were with it. The use of multimethod approach which included positivist and interpretative approaches to evaluation was viewed as an appropriate method to use for the study in facilitating an understanding of the patient’s experience of the programme and how satisfied they were with the intervention they received. The study is both qualitative and quantitative in nature and used questionnaires and focus group interviews as data sources. All participants in the study were inpatients at the South Coast Recovery Centre. Frequency distributions, chi square analysis, as well as a thematic analysis were used to analyze the data of the study. The study concluded that patients were in general satisfied with the treatment programme. The programme provided opportunity for behavior changes and introspective learning. They were satisfied with professionals’ skills and behaviours, 6 types of interventions provided, efficacy and accessibility. Areas that patients were not satisfied with included: the facilitated involvement of relatives, the provision of information, and the large amount of residents in the programme. Recommendations were made with regards to programme improvement. The recommendations included the following: a. A coherent programme with clear links between outcome objectives and programme activities should be created. b. The number of counsellors in the programme should be reconsidered. c. The number of patients that should be allowed in the programme should be reconsidered. d. A platform for counsellors to deal with their personal emotions and counter transference should be created. e. Counsellors’ emotional involvement with patients should be addressed and exposed. f. More structured leisure activities that use interactive learning styles could be implemented in order to facilitate the learning of social skills. g. An awareness of possible comorbid mental disorders should be developed. h. Patients can be more involved with the cost aspect of the programme in order to facilitate more ownership of their treatment process. i. Provision should be made in the programme to allow for more involvement of relatives.
The experience of burnout among psychologists in South Africa.
(2019) Anderson, Kerry-Leigh Tara.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Psychologists are at risk for burnout due to the emotional challenges and structural difficulties encountered in their daily work. Given the high prevalence of burnout amongst psychologists, a considerable amount of research has been conducted on the effects, risks and management of burnout. However, despite the proliferation of burnout literature, the majority of research has been restricted to quantitative analysis, with a paucity of studies exploring the phenomenon from a qualitative standpoint. More so, even fewer studies have explored the lived experience of burnout amongst psychologists. Thus, this study explored the experience of burnout among psychologists using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Six psychologists working in South Africa were purposively sampled and interviewed in order to collect rich, detailed accounts of their experience and perceptions of burnout. Five super-ordinate themes emerged from the data: (1) description of burnout reflects inner experience; (2) idealised expectations of self; (3) effects are multi-faceted; (4) risky business (5) the self-protection: a lofty goal. Findings from the study highlighted the uniqueness of individual experience even within commonalities. Findings demonstrated that the impact of burnout is far reaching and affects the psychologist in multiple areas of functioning. Findings also suggested that burnout can be self-sustaining and various processes such as self-stigma and stigma from colleagues intersect to create barriers to protection and effective resolution of burnout. Most notably, research findings suggested that psychologists’ self-concept may be impacted negatively by burnout which, in turn, may cause psychologists to work harder and invest more emotionally, possibly giving rise to a self-perpetuating cycle of burnout. These findings have implications for the training, supervision and support of psychologists in practice in addition to the prevention and management of burnout.
The experience of non-offending caregivers following the disclosure of child sexual abuse: understanding the aftermath.
(2013) Bux, Waheeda.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
The deleterious effects of child sexual abuse on the child survivor have been well-documented throughout literature. It is well-known that non-offending caregivers play a critical role in mediating the child survivor’s recovery but little research has qualitatively detailed the negative effects of child sexual abuse disclosure on non-offending caregivers. The aim of this exploratory qualitative study was to explore the experience of non-offending caregivers following the disclosure of child sexual abuse within the South African context. This research is rooted in the theories of vicarious traumatisation and attachment theory. Secondary data was utilised whereby focused open-ended interviews with non-offending caregivers was obtained. In this study ten caregivers’ experiences were analysed using thematic analysis. Data analysis revealed that caregivers experienced multiple forms of emotional, psychological and situational difficulties following the disclosure of child sexual abuse. This research evidenced experiences of caregiver distress, caregiver alienation and caregiver grief. Additionally, this research identified various caregiver coping strategies within the aftermath. The findings of this study suggest that caregivers do experience vicarious traumatisation exacerbated by multiple socio-cultural stressors following the disclosure. Furthermore, the findings of this study suggest that caregiver distress impacted on their parenting abilities. This research emphasises the value and necessity for future research in further exploration into caregivers’ experiences following disclosure within the South African context. The findings also highlight the importance of tailored treatment interventions for non-offending caregivers targeting the diverse array of negative experiences that caregivers may endure within the aftermath of child sexual abuse disclosure.
An exploration of the psychosocial risk factors that lead to antisocial behaviour and delinquent group (gang) membership amongst a cohort of youth living in Wentworth, Durban, South Africa.
(2019) Clayton, Neil Warren.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Researchers have identified a number of risk factors that increase vulnerability amongst young people, and coerce them towards engaging in antisocial behaviour, substance use, and gang membership. Drawing from an Ecological Systems Model, these risk factors are considered across five influential domains, including (1) the individual’s personal characteristics, (2) the family, (3) the peer group, (4) the school, and (5) the community. Inherent risks within these domains include a history of family instability, poverty, living within a marginalized community, neighbourhood criminality, and the pressures experienced from delinquent peers. This thesis utilizes Interactional Theory as a lens through which to explore the bidirectional interaction of these risk factors across the five influential domains, as experienced by adolescents living in Wentworth, Durban. Q Methodology was employed as a quali-quantitative research tool to explore the perceptions of adolescents from two schools in Wentworth. This process involved holding one-hour classroom-based sessions with four different groups of adolescents who made up the sample of 117 people. In these sessions respondents engaged in a ‘Q-Sorting’ exercise, which involved comparing and arranging a series of 44 statements onto a ‘Q-Sort Matrix Board’ to reflect individual perceptions about each of the domains mentioned above. Factor Analysis was used to evaluate these Q-Sorts, which yielded five unique factors, each of which represented a cluster (or group) of similar-minded adolescents. Narrative explanations were developed to make sense of these factors. The findings revealed central themes of risk that are considered indicative and predictive of antisocial behaviour and delinquent group and/or gang affiliation amongst youth living in Wentworth. These include (1) the dominant influence of the family; (2) low socio-economic status and associated financial stress; (3) living within a marginalized community; and (4) peer influences relating to the use of illicit substances, especially cannabis and LenazineÓ (Codeine-containing cough syrup). The bidirectional interaction between these central themes indicates that when an adolescent experiences an accumulation of the effects of disadvantage from across a range of risk factors, so the likelihood of stress and insecurity increases. This increases vulnerability, and coerces adolescents towards antisocial behaviour, substance use, delinquent peer group association, and gangsterism.
Exploring ‘cultural countertransference’: a qualitative study of therapists’ understanding of the interface between culture and countertransference.
(2021) Chichevo, Lilian Nyasha.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
There has been limited research on the relationship between culture and countertransference. Although extant literature indicates that culture-induced countertransference has a profound effect on therapeutic alliances with clients from culturally diverse population groups, this association between the two concepts remains relatively unexplored. In the South African multicultural context, there is no published research exploring the understanding that therapists have of the interface between these two concepts. The qualitative research design enabled the therapists to provide comprehensive descriptions of their culture-induced countertransference experiences. These culture-induced countertransference experiences were explored and analysed utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis perspective. The therapists’ experiences and perceptions were obtained through semi-structured interviews conducted with nine registered and practising therapists from KwaZulu-Natal. Four superordinate themes were obtained from the data, namely: (1) Awareness of Countertransference and Culture; (2) Cultural Aspects Inducing Countertransference; (3) Affective, Behavioural and Cognitive Reactions; and (4) Managing the Countertransference Experiences. The main findings indicated that therapists acknowledged an interface between culture and countertransference. Additionally, the therapists made a distinction between cultural countertransference and general counter-transference. Cultural countertransference was perceived to originate from the beliefs, assumptions, biases and unresolved conflicts within the therapist, triggered by various cultural aspects, including language, racial and ethnic diversity, cultural practices and age. The interplay of these triggers and origins resulted in the countertransference being manifested through affective, behavioural and cognitive reactions. Furthermore, the study revealed that there were slight differences in the management of cultural countertransference in comparison with general countertransference. The discussion of the findings drew on the Structural Theory of Countertransference and the Theory of Multicultural Counselling and Therapy in understanding the therapists’ perceptions of cultural countertransference.
Hegemonic and shamed masculinities: implications of traumatic historical impacts on black men in a post democratic South Africa.
Govender, Kaymarlin.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
The landscape of post-Apartheid South Africa is characterised by high levels of male perpetrated violence against women, children and other men with blame often attributed to victims rather than perpetrators (Hayes & Abbot, 2016). The aberrant behaviours and attitudes of men (also referred to as toxic masculinity) has been central to the notion of a so-called contemporary ‘crisis in masculinity’ with violence and risk taking behaviours (alcohol, substance abuse, sexual risk taking) embedded in male culture. While previous explanations of the ‘modern day crisis’ among men can be largely attributed to South Africa’s history of violent and traumatic struggles of domination over place, ideology and bodies, there is a paucity of work theorising this crisis from a socio-historical and psychodynamic trauma paradigm. In this vein, this paper delves into key periods of our history (referred to as ‘chosen traumas’) that have had persistent disruptive influences on particularly, black masculinity, which have collectively contributed to the modern day crisis. Our argument relies on the idea that unresolved historical traumas have a transgenerational ‘haunting’ effect on contemporary identities (Gordon, 1997; Layton, 2019). Focusing on black men who were subjected to a violent and repressive past, we have argued that ghosts of the pre-Apartheid to post-Apartheid modern day South Africa continue to have cumulative impacts on the black male psyche. It is suggested that these past traumas, together with contemporary representations of black masculinity, have led to a deep sense of unresolved shame, the dynamics of which we have attempted to illuminate using psychodynamic and masculinity theory. The paper concludes with some recommendations on dealing with unresolved traumas and violence.
Interpretive phenomenological analysis of self-states in recovering addicts during phases of addiction and recovery.
(2013) Ownhouse, Shannon.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
This study attempts to explore the different self-states and the sense-of-self amongst individuals suffering from substance dependency during phases of active addiction and recovery in South Africa. One of the aims of the research is to ascertain whether or not there is a change in the way participants view them selves once they have received treatment for addiction. An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis is conducted using accounts provided by members of Narcotics Anonymous South Africa on the organization’s official website. Results showed a partial shift in certain aspects of the participants’ self-images and self-concepts during stages of recovery.
Investigating the mental health needs of Zimbabwean refugees in Durban, South Africa : a thematic analysis.
(2017) Dreyer, Chandré.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
This study endeavoured to investigate the mental health needs of refugees to help establish the real cause of prevailing problems they experience in their host country, South Africa, so that deficits, gaps and needs in current intervention programs and services can be addressed to aid this population. The research questions aimed to investigate the psychological, emotional, social and environmental difficulties that refugees face on a daily basis which could contribute to their mental health needs. How refugees manage these difficulties was also investigated. A qualitative research design was used, with Braun and Clarke’s six-phased thematic analysis process used as the methodology of choice. Ten refugees from Zimbabwe living in Durban, South Africa, were purposively selected and semi-structured interviews were conducted to provide the required data. Thematic analysis was conducted and resulted in the identification of five themes: inaccessibility, basic needs, being a foreigner, emotional well-being, and internal and external coping strategies. The findings of this study show that refugees living in Durban present with mental health needs as they encounter various difficulties across the psychological, emotional, social and environmental domains. The primary difficulties identified by the refugees were difficulty with accessing employment and maintaining a secure income, as well as difficulty being a foreigner and not being accepted by the locals in Durban. The primary coping strategies identified by the refugees with these difficulties were their spiritual faith and social support. Limitations to the study included minimal time that the researchers could have with the refugees as only one interview could be conducted with each participant, and due to the sensitive experiences refugees might encounter, the possibility that some participants only share general and superficial concerns is possible.
On the cusp of context and profession : an interpretive phenomenological analysis of identity negotiation and compromise amongst South African psychologists employed in student counselling.
(2016) Naidoo, Paulette.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Student counselling services are a recognizable feature of higher education both in South Africa and abroad. The service is globally acknowledged for the role it plays in supporting holistic student development as well as the academic retention and throughput objectives of higher education institutions. However, a review of the relevant literature reveals a lack of enquiry into the identity experiences of student counsellors working in higher education. The present study sought to address this lacuna by conducting a qualitative investigation into the identity experiences of South African psychologists working in the context of a broad and diverse student counselling practice. The study was concerned with how and why these professionals come to perceive their identities in a particular way, as well as the influences impacting on this identity experience. A phenomenological-constructivist framework was adopted and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) selected as the most appropriate methodology with which to explore this specific, localised experience. Convenience sampling was employed to access participants. A total of fourteen psychologists from the clinical, counselling and educational registration categories, participated in the study. Salient themes emerging from the research findings include the notion of the student counsellor as “wearing many hats”; the student counsellor as developmental specialist; the student counsellor as institutional “stepchild”; student counselling as a ‘battleground’ between context and profession, as well as the notion of student counselling as a territorial compromise. Research findings reveal a precarious and ambiguous position located in-between the context of higher education and psychology profession. This unique position consequently engenders a great deal of ambivalence and conflict for the student counsellor, whose primary allegiance is to the psychology profession. Participants’ experiences indicate that they value their identity as psychologists and seek to maintain a connection to the profession whilst working in student counselling. However, the study also highlights powerful systemic influences unique to higher education and the South African social context, which compel student counsellors to re-evaluate and revise. The research findings further suggest that student counsellors’ negotiate an amicable compromise by variously assuming ‘Preferred Self’ and ‘Compliant Self’ identity positions in the context of work activities, power dynamics and relationships with significant professional, community and institutional others. On a broader level, the identity negotiation and reconstruction processes undergone by student counsellors serves as a metaphorical illustration of how a once-divided South African population may be reconciled. Research findings have important transformative implications for higher education and the profession of psychology in South Africa, with student counsellors’ work experiences suggesting a revision of current Eurocentric psychological models of training and practice in the South African context. This study specifically calls for a review of current registration categories and scopes of practice in South Africa, particularly its relevance to the South African student population and broader society. Strong parallels are drawn between student counselling, with its flexible, contextually-relevant approach and the systemically-driven principles and values of community psychology; student counselling therefore appears to bridge the gap between mainstream psychology’s narrow, Eurocentric approach and community psychology’s systemic understanding of South African realities. The “step-child” status of the student counsellor draws attention to a disjuncture between government legislation designed to promote institutional transformation in post-apartheid South Africa, and the actual policies and practices implemented by higher education institutions themselves. This study highlights, in particular, a perceived conflict between higher education’s narrow, traditional academic orientation and student counselling’s broader cognizance of the complex socio-historical needs and challenges of a diverse South African student population. The “step-child” status of the student counsellor further highlights areas for potential institutional reform in South Africa, including institutional classification of student counsellors, career development opportunities, remuneration and benefits for professional staff in the support sector.
Perceptions and experiences of cyberbullying amongst high school students: an interpretive phenomenological analysis.
(2019) Schofield, Sarah Jane.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Cyberbullying is an emerging phenomenon among children and adolescents worldwide. Although the existing literature on cyberbullying is expanding rapidly, there is a lack of qualitative research, particularly in South Africa, which explores adolescents’ perceptions of cyberbullying. Qualitative research allows researchers to uncover the important discourses, which undergird cyberbullying, and explore the nuances of the phenomenon, both of which are often less visible in large-scale quantitative research. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences and perceptions of cyberbullying amongst high school students from an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) perspective. These experiences and perceptions were obtained through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with six high school students from a school on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Interview transcripts were analysed using IPA and this approach allowed the researcher to obtain a rich description of the participants’ lived experiences and the processes by which they made sense of their experiences. Six super-ordinate themes were obtained from the data: (1) Perceptions and Characteristics of Cyberbullying, (2) Parent Monitoring, (3) Cyberbullying vs. Traditional Bullying, (4) Perceived Cyber Bystander Motivations, (5) Perceived Cyber Bully Motivation, and finally (6) Individual, Contextual and Societal Factors. Each super-ordinate theme consisted of several sub-themes, which captured and described the participants’ lived experiences. The research findings suggested that although there are similarities between traditional bullying and cyberbullying, the latter appears to have a greater psychological impact on victims. Several factors associated with online activity appear to be appealing to cyberbullies and they are subsequently motivated to participate in bullying online. Furthermore, the cyber bystanders seem to play a passive role in the phenomenon, failing to intervene. This study contributes to the limited literature on this topic available in South Africa, and produces a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the emotions, experiences and perceptions of high school students involved in cyberbullying.