3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item A psychoanalytic exploration of African grandmothers' cultural knowledge on mothering and attachment.(2014-02-24) Blumberg, SarahAfrican perspectives of mothering and attachment have only started being explored recently. Conversely there has been extensive research on Western understandings of attachment and mothering from a psychoanalytic perspective. Due to the limited literature, little is known whether psychoanalytic theories can be related to African cultural perspectives of mothering and attachment. This study aimed to understand African grandmothers’ cultural knowledge of mothering and attachment through a psychoanalytic attachment theory perspective. Secondly the study intended to describe the points of convergence and divergence between psychoanalytic concepts of attachment and African grandmothers’ cultural knowledge on mothering. Using a qualitative research design, nine African grandmothers, from different locations in Johannesburg, were interviewed, using a semi-structured interview. The data gathered from the interviews was analysed using aspects of narrative analysis. The findings regarding African grandmother’s cultural descriptions of mothering were on the most part consistent with the literature reviewed. The discrepancies between the participants’ understandings and the psychoanalytic attachment literature arose as a result of the major influence of socio-economic circumstances on their lives as caregivers. Psychoanalytic attachment constructs were present in the participant’s narratives and even though they were not specifically named by the participants, the results suggested they are entrenched in African cultural practices. Thus, from a psychoanalytic attachment theory perspective the research was able to demonstrate the convergences and divergences between psychoanalytic concepts of mothering and African cultural understandings of mothering, thereby illustrating how there is room for dialogue between the two.Item A narrative understanding of the maternal experience of urban black South African mothers.(2013-04-03) Dale, Lindsay KateThis qualitative study explores the maternal experiences of black South African mothers living in a township in Johannesburg. Extensive research and literature has begun to address the experiences of motherhood from the mother’s perspective, however research into the experiences of black mothers is still limited. In the past psychological literature on South African motherhood tended to focus on at-risk mothers and children rather than exploring their personal narratives. This study presents the narratives of six black mothers living in Alexandra township in Johannesburg, Gauteng. The six mothers participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using the narrative analysis technique. The analysis provides insight into the personal experiences of motherhood and highlights the central narratives that these mothers told. What emerged is that mothers have individual and unique stories to tell, their stories about becoming a mother are central to their narratives on motherhood and the context in which mothers mother is pivotal in shaping their mothering experiences.Item African mothers experiences of the "New Beginnings" mother-infant group psychotherapy programme : reflecting on mothering while living in a shelter.(2013-03-27) Hardudh-Dass, HasmitaInfant mental health in South Africa has been receiving more attention in recent years. Mothers appear to be the main caregivers of infants but they face many psychosocial, economic and cultural challenges. There exists very little evidence suggesting that mothers living in shelters or institutions have access to the necessary support and education to help them to understand their circumstances and how this may impact on the attachment with their infant. The New Beginnings Programme, as an early intervention model, is aimed at improving attachment between mother and infant so as to reduce the potential risk of mental health problems later in life for the infants, the mothers and future generations. This evidence based intervention focuses on the mother and her capacity for mentalisation, which refers to the mother’s capacity to hold her infant in mind and recognise and respond to the inner states of the infant. The pilot study of the New Beginnings Programme within a South African context took place in two shelters in the Greater Johannesburg area. This particular study formed part of this bigger research effort. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of the mothers who attended the New Beginnings programme. A secondary aim was to explore these mothers’ experiences of the programme within the context of living in a shelter. The adaptation of this programme to a South African context could contribute significantly to bridging the gap in mother-infant attachment which could influence the future mental health of the infant and their ability to foster ongoing healthy attachments later in life. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews and a narrative analysis from the theoretical perspective of psychoanalytic attachment theory. Thirteen mothers from two shelters participated in this research study.