Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)

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    Pandemic parenting: Stories of ordinary experiences in an extraordinary time
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-07) Yarde-Leavett, Claire Emma; Haynes-Rolando, Hayley
    The study sought to give voice to parents of children who display ADHD traits including hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness during the covid-19 pandemic. The aim was to explore their experiences of parenting during this unprecedented time in history. Qualitative data were gathered through narrative interviews from ten parents (seven mothers and three fathers) from middle-class backgrounds, living in Johannesburg. Photo elicitation was used as a tool to gather parents’ stories and reflections of their pandemic parenting experiences in a creative, self-directed manner. The qualitative data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis that generated four key themes: (1) Adjusting to an upside-down world; (2) Experiences of wearing too many hats; (3) Parents’ (re)views of how their children’s ADHD traits affected their learning at home; (4) Covid, a mixed bag of losses and treasures. A social constructionist lens for data analysis allowed for the exploration of how the covid-19 pandemic disrupted discourses and systems that shape parents’ embodied experiences. Possibilities for new understandings of parents and as well as their children who display ADHD traits were considered. The findings can help to deepen our understanding of middle-class family life, challenge gendered relations, reconsider children's play and learning, transform schooling practices, foster meaningful parent-teacher interactions, encourage community-building, and prompt a re-evaluation of our understanding of "disorderly" children and their unique learning needs. By embracing these insights, we can pave the way for more inclusive and effective approaches to supporting families and children in navigating the complexities of education and well-being in times of crisis.
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    Students’ Experiences of Technology, Social Connection, and Psycho-Social Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-04) Bonheim, Angela R.; Marchetti-Mercer, Maria
    In an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 in South Africa, a strict national lockdown was enforced by the South African government on 23 March 2020. The lockdown had a profoundly negative impact on individuals’ mental well-being as well as family functioning. In particular, university students were forced to adapt to changes in academic, social, and familial areas of life and faced unique challenges as a result of the lockdown. Maintaining interpersonal relationships outside of the home, such as with family, friends, partners, and colleagues, had the potential to alleviate these adverse mental consequences. This study aims to explore specifically how postgraduate students who were living with close family members during the lockdown used technology to maintain social connections with others outside of their homes. The sample consists of seven postgraduate students who lived with their families for over two months during the national lockdown which began in March 2020. The findings of this study indicate that participants placed greater emphasis on maintaining interpersonal relationships than they had prior to the pandemic and expended more effort on virtual interactions. While participants were able to maintain many interpersonal relationships during the lockdown, many found it difficult to remain in contact with a small proportion of their friends. Participants also reported making creative use of technological platforms to maintain relational closeness. Video calling and textual communication was reported to be particularly useful means of sustaining connections. However, technology-mediated communication often did not provide the same level of intimacy as face-to-face connections. Virtual communication also led to the blurring of boundaries, including challenges in separating virtual and physical ‘spaces’ and difficulty in maintaining personal-professional boundaries.