4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions

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COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Afari-Twumasi, Kwabena Kumi; Totowa, Jacques
The purpose of this research was to examine why the level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa is relatively high compared to the global average, despite more reassuring information being known about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. This study zoned in on what factors most influence the decision to not get vaccinated against COVID-19 and what may influence the unvaccinated to change their mind. The overarching research problem was to develop effective strategies to move COVID-19 vaccine hesitants across the vaccine acceptance/rejection spectrum to the end where they are willing to get vaccinated. “Vaccine hesitancy refers to delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccination despite availability of vaccination services.” (MacDonald, 2015) The research looked at adults whose primary residency or occupation was in the Republic of South Africa. The entire survey was done via an anonymous online, largely Likert scale type, questionnaire. Most respondents were between the ages of 25 and 44 and had at least an undergraduate degree. There was an even balance between male and female respondents in the sample. Some of the key highlights revealed in the study were:  There is a fair level of distrust over government’s motives when it comes to the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic  About a third of respondents do not have conviction in the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines  Over half of respondents believe that mainstream media is unreliable or biased  Almost a quarter of all respondents have not been vaccinated  Common methods of encouraging the hesitant to vaccinate (e.g., Prohibiting travel to other countries) are unlikely to work in South Africa To improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake, the following recommendations were made:  Health authorities should keep educating people about why the vaccines are safe for human beings and how they can offer protection from serious illness or death  Health authorities should collaborate with mainstream media to build public trust. They should pay more attention to how the media portrays the pandemic to the public – the language used in reporting, the subject matter experts invited to speak, signs of bias, etc  Government should try to improve public trust in how they are handling the pandemic. One way to do this would be to make the decision making of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) more transparent to the public
Examining the Effects of Oil Price Shocks on Unemployment in South Africa and Nigeria
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Nomarola, Nolundi Felicity
This study investigates the impact of oil price shocks on unemployment dynamics in South Africa and Nigeria, two major economies in Africa with significant oil sectors. The relationship between oil price fluctuations and unemployment is analysed using time- series data spanning from 1976 to 2021, employing the Autoregressive-distributed lag (ARDL) and the Nonlinear ARDL models. The ARDL model in South Africa shows a significant long-term increase in unemployment due to increased oil prices, while in Nigeria, it indicates a negative relationship. In the short run, in South Africa oil price shocks have an insignificant effect, while in Nigeria, they have a significant negative impact. The NARDL model also reveals asymmetrical effects. The NARDL model revealed asymmetrical long-run and short-run effects. In South Africa, the magnitude of the impact of increasing oil prices on unemployment is larger than of falling oil prices in both the short-run and long-run, while for Nigeria, falling prices have a larger magnitude.
The role of trust and risk in the adoption of super apps in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ndaba, Mpumelelo; Hughes, Mitchell
A super app is an “all in one” mobile application that provides the user with core features and access to a wide range of third-party created “mini apps” that they can choose to activate. Typical functions within existing super apps include instant messaging, food ordering and delivery, ridesharing, appointment bookings, e-commerce and utility bill payments, among several other features. This all-in-one application has gained signi[icant success in Asia, with WeChat and Alipay in China being the most popular super apps in the world, collectively providing over one billion users with a variety of services without having to switch between different mobile applications. Because the super app is an emerging phenomenon, the factors in[luencing adoption are currently ill-understood. A preliminary review of the literature revealed that most existing studies on super apps were conducted in Asia, where numerous super apps are currently available. This gap in academic research presents an opportunity to explore super app adoption within the African context, speci[ically in South Africa. This study aims to determine how trust and risk in[luence the potential adoption of super apps in South Africa by utilising the trust- based consumer decision-making model by Kim, Ferrin, and Rao (2008) as the theoretical framework to examine the roles of trust, risk, and bene[it in this process. The study employed a quantitative research method, speci[ically using a survey questionnaire for data collection, and was conducted within the positivist paradigm. The [indings revealed a signi[icant positive correlation between trust and adoption intention, highlighting the crucial role of trustworthiness in the acceptance of novel technologies. Interestingly, contrary to common belief, the study also found a positive correlation between perceived risk and adoption intention, indicating that higher perceived risk does not necessarily deter users from adopting super apps. These unexpected results underscore the complexity of user decision-making in the adoption of emerging technologies and suggest a need for further investigation into the underlying dynamics driving adoption behaviour.
Exploring factors leading to journalists leaving the profession in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Musi, Mampholodi Glorious; Sithole, Enock
This research looks into factors that lead journalists in South Africa to leave the profession to pursue other careers. Some journalists who have been bringing news to South Africans have been seen taking on jobs such as spokespersons and other roles in government and the private sector. This adds to the loss of skills newsrooms suffer due to the widespread retrenchments in the sector. A qualitative research method was used to gather data from 20 former print and broadcast journalists across South Africa, who shared their experiences in in-depth semi- structured interviews. The interviews were conducted over Zoom video link with journalists who left the profession between 2018 and 2023. This period covers the period before the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been a catalyst for some of the changes in the media landscape and the period post-pandemic. Using Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation, this study reveals that the lack of financial resources in many media houses has created a toxic mix that is pushing journalists out of the jobs they love, mainly because of poor salaries, added work responsibilities that are not matched with compensation, job insecurity, a toxic work environment, poor work-life balance, and unethical management. In general, the former journalists still love journalism but are moving away from the working conditions they were subjected to. Most journalists who have left the profession have more than 10 years of experience in the field. They take with them the skills and institutional memory built over the years – much to the detriment of the society they serve. Many say they are using the skills they have gathered in journalism to build new careers in the private sector corporate communications field and government, while others are running their businesses.
Exploring How Civic Technologies are Contributing to Governance in Nigeria and South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Zisengwe, Melissa Tsungai; Abrahams, Lucienne; Burke, Mark
This research paper explores the African civic technology (‘civic tech’) ecosystem, with specific reference to its contribution to governance in Nigeria and South Africa. The research was informed by a qualitative methodology that used a comparative descriptive and explanatory case studies approach. Drawing on the African civic tech database and expert interviews, the study examined the drivers that influence the development of civic tech, its contribution to governance, and approaches to addressing challenges in the civic tech ecosystems in the two case study countries. The paper finds that in both countries, civic tech is driven by many variables, such as the proliferation of digital technologies, failing government systems, and international agendas. However, the foundations of most civic tech organisations are linked to governance issues experienced by both countries. Therefore, civic tech is often a result of the increased demand to strengthen the voice and capacity of citizens to engage and participate in governance issues that affect them directly. The findings suggest that civic tech influences governance in various areas, including indirectly and directly influencing innovation in government departments, opening up data, and leading to more transparency about government activities and governance challenges. The study found that civic tech has significantly transformed how citizens participate in decision-making and engage with the government, accentuating citizens’ voices on issues that affect them. The study concluded that civic tech has emerged as a social accountability mechanism as it plays a fundamental role in creating channels for citizens and other non-governmental actors to participate in governance. However, while civic tech is improving governance, the research concluded that it remains challenging to measure its influence due to how civic tech is constructed, adopted, and used. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the civic tech field to establish and streamline institutional monitoring and evaluation. This would enable the field to combine efforts and create a synergy where civic tech impact measurement is concerned.
An Exploration of Audiologist and Patient Communication during Adult Tinnitus Management Sessions in Gauteng, South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Stonestreet, Micaela Ruth; Kanji , Amisha; Watermeyer, Jennifer
Introduction: Tinnitus is a prevalent symptom of hearing loss and can have a significant impact on quality of life. Recently a large body of research exploring patient-centred care and communication practices in audiology has emerged. However, there remains a paucity of research on communication in tinnitus management consultations. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore interactions between audiologists and patients in initial adult tinnitus management sessions. The objectives of this study were to observe the communication processes of audiologists in this setting, as well as explore how audiologists negotiate complexities such as patient expectations, emotions, decision-making and goal setting with patients. Methodology: This study implemented a multimethod exploratory qualitative design incorporating interactional analysis of video recorded audiological initial tinnitus consultations, triangulated with participant interviews. The research was conducted at two hospitals in the public healthcare sector of Gauteng, South Africa. The data comprised of seven video-recorded interactions between five audiologists and seven patients, supplemented with interviews with all 12 participants after the tinnitus consultations. The video-recorded interactions were analysed by means of a hybrid sociolinguistic analysis approach with principles of interactional sociolinguistics and theme-oriented discourse analysis. The video- recorded data was triangulated with the interview data in order to strengthen the analysis and overall confirmability of the study. Results: The findings of this study highlight six communicative actions that contribute to patient-centred communication in initial adult tinnitus management sessions, namely: agenda setting, breaking from a scripted approach, prioritisation of patient concerns, engaging in emotional and psychosocial topics, shared decision-making and expectation setting. The results of this study show that audiologists are not consistently implementing these 5 communicative actions within their adult tinnitus management consultations, which has implications for patient-centred care. Conclusions: The study provides insights into the current communication practices of audiologists in adult tinnitus management sessions in South Africa. The research highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of audiologists in their use of effective communication strategies and patient-centred care, specifically in information exchange, responsiveness to patients’ emotions and psychosocial stressors, and shared decision-making. Audiologists need to consider how they can transform the concepts of patient-centred care and effective communication into practical actions within their tinnitus management. These findings can raise awareness among audiologists about their communication practices in tinnitus management consultations. Additionally, they offer insights into practical communication strategies that can be implemented into tinnitus management consultations and provide valuable insights for future researchers, educators and policymakers.
Disability and Masculinity: How Young Men with a Disability Navigate Masculinity in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Moonsamy, Michaela Anne; Langa, Malose
This research project aimed to contribute to the body of knowledge in the global south literature on masculinity by exploring how young men with a physical disability construct and navigate masculinity. Theories such as Ecological systems theory, Social identity theory and Gender role strain theory served as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection method. There were seven participants in total, five identifying as black and two identifying as Indian, all with varying degrees of physical disabilities. Participants were selected using purposive snowball sampling. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data. Five themes were constructed from the data: How young men with disabilities define their masculinity; Challenges of not meeting Hegemonic Masculinity Standards and the coping strategies used to manage these challenges; Disability and its contribution to identity formation; Relationship with others: living with a disability and how this relationship affects masculine identity; and Embodying masculinity. The study revealed that young men with a disability reject/reformulate hegemonic masculine ideals to standards they can meet but can also simultaneously draw from hegemonic ideals. In addition, various challenges faced by men with a disability were explored as well as how relationships affect identity formation while living with a disability. Limitations and future recommendations are discussed.
Educational psychologists’ perspectives on the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children in the South African context
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ally, Nazrana; Israel, Nicky
This qualitative study aimed to explore a sample of South African registered educational psychologists’ perspectives on and experiences with the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children in the South African context, including their awareness of available treatments, evaluation of treatment effectiveness, decision-making processes, level of involvement in treatment stages, and their roles in relation to other professionals. Additionally, it examined the psychologists’ perceptions of the challenges faced by ASD children and their parents in accessing treatment in South Africa, the common strategies they employed, and the difficulties they encountered when treating ASD children. An interpretive approach was used, employing semi-structured interviews conducted in English with eight South African registered educational psychologists specializing in ASD. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, informed by a self-reflexive journal to maintain awareness of potential biases. The findings highlighted the scarcity of educational psychologists in South Africa engaged in ASD cases, limited specialized ASD training, and a paucity of resources available in South Africa which encouraged participants to seek resources internationally. Participants emphasized the importance of evidence-based, individualized interventions tailored to each child's context. They also emphasized that diverse approaches were crucial for meeting the individual needs of both the child and the family. They raised concerns about applied behaviour analysis (ABA), citing its potential limitations in fostering flexibility and promoting rote learning. They recommended modifying cognitive-behavioural methods to suit specific contexts and moving away from clinical environments to foster creativity and resourcefulness. 4 Participants were actively involved in diagnosis and assessment, highlighting the importance of exposing educational psychology students to various ASD-specific assessments and emphasizing the need for addressing training gaps and cost barriers for accessing assessment tools. Educating stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and other professionals, was deemed essential for creating a supportive and informed environment for children with ASD. Significant challenges identified included limited ASD-specific training, a lack of support and awareness, long waiting periods for diagnosis, limited access to treatment, and stigmas associated with ASD. Addressing these challenges requires grassroots training initiatives and collaborative efforts among families, professionals, and policymakers to ensure quality care and support for individuals with ASD.
Life after Rape: Survivors’ Experiences of Parenting Responses through an Attachment Lens
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Govender, Nikita; Esprey, Yvette
South Africa has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world, with an estimated one in four women experiencing sexual assault in their lifetime. It becomes crucial to explore how these post-trauma experiences including resilience and identity are shaped by pre- existing attachment cultures1. This research investigates the nuanced experiences of six South African women following rape, with particular focus on the interplay between attachment cultures and experiences with parental support. Drawing on attachment theory and expansions, qualitative interviews were conducted on the sample who represented diverse attachment cultures. Thematic analysis revealed distinct patterns in how these rape survivors appraised their early attachment experiences, experiences of parental support and the quality of their life post-trauma. Securely attached systems demonstrated adaptive coping strategies and positive experiences with parental support while insecurely attached survivors reported varying degrees of maladaptive coping and perceived parental unavailability or instability. These findings magnified the complex interplay between quality of attachment cultures and response to a traumatic event. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of early attachment experiences in shaping perceptions of support and resilience. These contributions may inform tailored interventions to support sexual assault survivors based on their attachment organization. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on attachment theory and trauma recovery.
The experience of family structure and family change on emerging adults: A focus on single parent households
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Naidoo, Noelle; Graham, Tanya
This qualitative research study explores the complex dynamics between family structure, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and their impact on emerging adults in South Africa. Through semi-structured interviews, the study investigated the experiences and perspectives of eight emerging adults aged 18-25 as they retrospectively journeyed through changes within their family structure and the adverse childhood experiences encountered along the way. The study is grounded within the theoretical framework of the family stress model (FSM); however, Arnett’s (2000) theory of emerging adulthood is also significant to the study's conceptualisation. The study's findings highlighted several themes, namely, 1) the initial family structure and ACEs experienced; 2) the journey through family structure change; 3) the immediate impact following a change in family structure; and 4) the long-term impact following a change in family structure. The study draws attention to the nuances and complexities of nuclear, single-mother, cohabiting, extended, and stepfamilies while challenging the notion of “normal” and traditional nuclear families. Additionally, the study reveals the significance of changes in family structure and dynamics, such as divorce, separation, and emergence of new partners and stepfamilies, in influencing psychological, relational, educational, emotional, and behavioural outcomes in emerging adults. These outcomes ranged from immediate to long-term impacts, embracing adversities such as child abuse and neglect, witnessing intimate partner violence, financial difficulties, premature maturation, and trust issues. However, the study also revealed positive immediate and long-term effects highlighted throughout the findings, such as improved relationships, stability and security, empowerment, self- development, and optimistic self-reflections. The research study provides deeper insights into family structure changes and their consequences for emerging adults in South Africa while laying the foundation for future research.

4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions

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