Johan M. Nieuwoudt

Relative Deprivation and the Ethnic Attitudes of Blacks and Afrikaans-Speaking Whites in South Africa

Abstract The relationship between relative deprivation and ethnic attitudes was investigated in a stratified random sample of 361 Blacks and 120 Afrikaans-speaking Whites. Apart from variables related to relative deprivation, a number of other variables such as biographical information, conservatism, and the experience of justice were also measured and included in multiple regression analyses to predict the ethnic attitudes of the subjects. The results indicate that the variables of academic qualification, the experience of justice, and the experience of economic deprivation significantly explained the ethnic attitudes of the black subjects. Among the white subjects a generalized attitude toward outgroups significantly explained some of the variance of the attitude scores.

South African ethnic attitudes: 1973 to 1978

Summary Ethnic attitudes of the five main South African ethnic groups were measured annually from 1973 to 1978. An attempt is made to relate the attitude patterns to historical events. A major finding is that the Soweto conflicts of 1976 are associated with a worsening of South African ethnic attitudes. The relative ethnic preferences of the different groups are also indicated.

The Relationship Between Relative Deprivation and the Attitudes of Rural Afrikaans-Speaking Women Toward Blacks

ABSTRACT We investigated the relationship between different patterns of relative deprivation and attitudes toward Blacks in a random sample of 92 rural Afrikaans-speaking White women in the present and over time. The subjects experienced different patterns of relative deprivation when they compared their economic, social, and political positions to those of Blacks in the past and in the future. Significant negative relationships were found between the experience of different patterns of relative deprivation with respect to Blacks and attitudes toward Blacks.

Women Suffering through Their Bodies

This article is concerned with the nature of suffering as experienced by women struggling with problems related to the body. Since the body is viewed as integral in the formation of a womans identity and self-concept, any illness, ailment, or deficiency associated with it may lead her to experience pain and suffering. To explore meanings of personal suffering, three contexts were chosen, namely familial breast cancer, eating disorders, and infertility. A qualitative approach, using the case study method, was adopted to provide rich descriptions of the different experiences of suffering. In-depth interviews were conducted with women living with familial breast cancer, eating disorders, and infertility. Two women were chosen for each context. The results show that for these women suffering manifested as loss, isolation, loneliness, anger, and emptiness. Suffering encompassed the physical, emotional, and social spheres, and entailed a deep and complex experience of pain. It was also evident that suffering remains a personal issue that depends on a persons life circumstances, personality, past and present experiences, the problem at hand, and the surrounding environment.

Grief and Needs of Adults with Acquired Visual Impairments.

This report aims to illuminate the complex phenomenon of grief and the needs experienced throughout the time course of their impairments by adults with acquired visual impairments. The study applied a phenomenological research strategy using 10 case studies of South African adults, visually impaired within and beyond six years. Qualitative descriptive data were obtained from follow-up depth interviews. An essential insight gained from the study is that the duration of the acquired visual impairment impacts the unrealistic or realistic awareness of the implications and limitations of living with a chronic visual impairment. This factor profoundly influences the experience of grief and concomitant needs. A chronic, recurrent but episodic grief process and a dynamic process of both experienced needs and need satisfaction were emphasized.

The Use of a Cartoon Rating Scale as a Measure for the Humor Construct

A new scale based on the rating of newspaper cartoons was administered to 129 White South Africans, after which a statistical analysis indicated high reliability for the instrument. A principal components analysis yielded seven factors, one of which appeared to relate to family relationships and the derision or misfortune of one of its members. Although there was a significant and positive link between chronological age and funniness ratings, no valid relations were found with other life measures or with scores on three other humor scales.

The relationship between indexes of childhood friendship and biographical, personality, and behavioral variables

The nature of childhood friendship was investigated through the relationship between four proposed indexes of friendship (choice status, acceptance of others, acceptance by others, and perceived acceptance by others), and variables of biography, interpersonal skills and behaviors, and self-concept. The subjects were 39 children (30 boys, 9 girls) in Grades 2, 4, and 6. Data were collected via sociometric techniques, questionnaires, and the Piers-Harris (1969) Childrens Self-Concept Scale. The results indicated significant correlations between (a) age and choice status, (b) after-school routine and perceived social acceptance, (c) after-school routine and actual social acceptance, and (d) loneliness and social acceptance; and between certain friendship indexes.

Masculinity and Mayhem The Performance of Gender in a South African Boys’ School

We describe an incident of disruptive behavior which occurred in a boys’ school in South Africa, and the context in which it occurred. The incident of mayhem is deconstructed in order to illuminate what it reveals about the performance of masculinity in the school. Descriptions are offered of practices and rituals which show how gender is performed within an elite boys’ school and how this incident illuminates the gender regime of the institution. The discussion highlights the contradictory and contested nature of performances of masculinity within the school.

Adjustment Problems Experienced by Children During Cross-Cultural Orientation: A Pilot Study

A study was undertaken to investigate the adjustment problems of children aged 8-10 years when they relocated from their native countries to Vienna, Austria. There was a moderate correlation between anxiety and adjustment to changes in the physical and material environment and a significant correlation between anxiety and changes in social support systems. Adjustment to changes in parental behavior and changes in language demands both showed a low negative correlation with anxiety. Children who had spent the least time in Vienna showed greater evidence of anxiety and stress than did children who had lived in the city for at least 1 year.