Jonathan's buddy system : exploring alternative ways of being

Date
2004-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The labelling and marginalisation practices implemented and sustained by conventional methods of education and psychology motivated the research curiosity. The significance of the learner's own experiences, the learner's own meaning-making through his/her own story-telling or the stories others tell about him/her and the constituting effects of alternative identity conclusions are explored as means of creating more preferred identity conclusions In engaging in the re-tellings of a learner's experiences at home and school, a qualitative research practice has been apllied, revealing meaning-making of alternative stories. Feminist theory and post-modern ideas and discourses have assisted me, and the participant, in the deconstruction of ADHD, depression, identity and divorce which contributed to the marginalisation of a learner due to dominant discourses within culture, education and psychopathology. Narrative approaches to therapy and an ethic of participation have guided us to emphasise the necessity of recognising a learner's preferred ways of understanding his/her experiences and what that tells about the person. Pseudonyms have been used to respect the participant's privacy.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ettikettering en marginaliserende praktyke wat gebasseer en onderhou word deur konvensionele opvoedkundige en sielkundige diskoerse, het die navorsingsnuuskierigheid by my ontlok. Die beduidenheid van 'n leerder se eie ervarings en pogings tot betekenismaking deur die oorvertel van sy/haar eie stories en die aanhoor van ander se stories oor hom/haar word uitgelig. Die konstitusionerende aard van hierdie alternatiewe identiteitskonklusies word geeksploreer om meer verkose identiteitskonsepte daar te stel. Met my deelname aan die oorvertelling van die leerder se ervarings by sy huis en skool, is 'n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gevolg, wat die betekenismaking van alternatiewe stories kan uitlig. Feministiese teorie, postmoderne denke en diskoerse was die sleutels wat gebruik is deur my en die deelnemers, om die betekenis van ADHD, depressie, identiteit en egskeiding te ontsluit en te dekonstrueer. Die marginaliserende praktyke wat in die naam van hierdie fenomene gepleeg word binne die dominante kultuur, opvoedkundige praktyke en psigopatologie word bevraagteken. 'n Narratiewe benadering tot terapie en 'n etiek van deelname het ons gelei om die nodige erkenning aan die leerder se verkose maniere om sy ervaringe te verwoord en wat dit omtrent sy identiteit impliseer. Pseudoname is gebruik om die deelnemer se privaatheid te respekteer.
Description
Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.
Keywords
Narrative therapy, Self-actualization (Psychology) in adolescence, Self-esteem in adolescence, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Treatment, Dissertations -- Education
Citation