Nareadi Phasha

Cultural Pathways to Resilience: Opportunities and Obstacles as Recalled by Black South African Students

In this chapter we present the life-stories of Harmony and Atile to illustrate that young people’s resilience processes are not arbitrary. Harmony and Atile are black South African students who demonstrated positive development, despite chronic poverty and associated risks (e.g., sexual abuse). A secondary data analysis of their life-stories shows how traditional African culture (i.e., Ubuntu) shaped which processes Harmony and Atile prioritised, and how these processes played out. Specifically, constructive connections to a broad network of supportive people, tolerance, and educational agency informed their positive adjustment. One could argue that these mechanisms embody universally reported resilience processes (e.g., attachment, meaning-making, agency and mastery, etc.). However, their stories offer evidence that connecting to familial and non-familial kin, being long-suffering, and pursuing a tertiary education were culturally-congruent processes. Essentially, Harmony’s and Atile’s allegiance to Ubuntu-aligned values and practices shaped which universal resilience mechanisms they prioritised and how these mechanisms of resilience operationalised. Simultaneously, their stories caution against romanticised and/or static accounts of how culture matters for resilience, and flag the need for longitudinal studies of how culture and resilience intertwine.

Access to curriculum for students with disabilities at higher education institutions: How does the National University of Lesotho fare?

Background Creating access to curricula at institutions of higher education for students with disabilities requires a concerted effort from management and other key stakeholders to identify students’ needs and create opportunities for success. Objectives This paper presents the findings of a study which examined students with disabilities’ access to curricula at a higher education institution in Lesotho. Method Data for this qualitative study were collected using three methods: in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. Eleven students with various types of impairments and 15 academic and non-academic staff members currently working in close proximity to students with disabilities participated in this study. Results The findings reveal inconsistencies between the institution’s admission policy of non-discrimination according to disability status and its practices. These inconsistencies are discussed under the following themes: (1) access at admission level, (2) management of disability data, (3) support by the special education unit, (4) teaching strategies, (5) support by lecturers, (6) availability of assistive technology, (7) special concessions and (8) students’ coping mechanisms. Conclusion We recommend that a clear policy concerning the support of students with disabilities be developed with the following aims: guide decisions on how disability data should be used, define roles that different university departments must play in facilitating access to curricula for all students, influence suitable development of teaching and learning resources, stimulate research on success and completion rates of students with disabilities and mandate restructuring of programmes that are currently inaccessible to students with disabilities. Key stakeholders, including students with disabilities, disabled persons’ organisations, disability rights activists, and staff should be involved in such policy design.

Dating and Identity Development Among IsiXhosa Speaking Adolescents

This study explored dating and identity development among IsiXhosa speaking adolescents in South Africa. The participants were 40 Grade 12 learners (females = 50%) aged between 17 and 24 years. Data were collected using identity status interviews and analyzed descriptively. Females were best represented in the identity diffusion status while males inclined towards the moratorium identity.

The book and the banknote: reading for leisure amongst 10th grade learners in South Africa

Abstract Central to this study are the researchers’ interests in describing leisure reading tendencies amongst secondary school learners in the age range of 16 and 17 years old. The study collected data by means of a questionnaire which consisted of both closed and open-ended questions. The questionnaire was administered to a group of 120 tenth grade learners at two schools in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Of the number, only 33 eventually formed the sample of the study. Data were analysed using simple statistical methods, and the results are presented under the following headings: current engagement in leisure reading; time spent reading for leisure; sources of motivation; and access to reading materials. The learners’ perceptions about leisure reading were also captured following open-ended questions. This study shed light about leisure habits amongst learners, an area which has gained little attention in South Africa. Further studies should be conducted using larger samples and consisting of learners from different racial background.

Child Abuse and Neglect: Counseling and Healing Practices with People of African Ancestry

Communities worldwide condemn child abuse and agree that any form of harm should be mitigated by culturally sensitive methods. In African settings such methods are underrepresented in the literature. This article sought to identify and highlight the healing practices that counselors should consider when dealing with abused children of African descent. It further, proposes prevention that should be prioritized since most African communities are living in precarious circumstances which could expose children to further abuse. The article recommends that counselors in African settings need to adopt holistic approaches such as involving parents, community and other relevant institution when dealing with survivors of abuse, rather than to work in isolation. In addition, the legislation that protects children and the traditional support system needs to be strengthened and aligned to international conventions as inconsistencies could undermine their effectiveness and hamper the implementation of anti-child abuse policies.

School-based care and support for the intellectually disabled learners at risk for sexual abuse: South African teacher carer perspectives

This study examined the functionality of a school-based care and support program for the intellectually disabled learners who have a history of sexual abuse. Participants were 28 teachers from four special educational needs schools in the Gauteng Province, South Africa (females = 80%; age range 30 to 55 years). The teachers participated in a focus group discussion on the extent to which the school-based care and support for learners with intellectual disability worked to the intended goals and procedures. Thematic analysis of the data suggested the school care and support program to work to purpose within the school system and with partner non-governmental organisations; but less so with the local school district personnel.