Doctoral Degrees (Psychology)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Psychology) by browse.metadata.advisor "Hoffman, Louwrens C."

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    A qualitative, interpretive study exploring the well-being of slaughterers : a comparison between Jewish, Muslim and secular slaughterers
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University., 2020-03) Durr, Elna; Kafaar, Zuhayr; Hoffman, Louwrens C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The first slaughterhouse appeared at the beginning of the 19th century in France and the French word “abattoir” was introduced, which refers to a place where livestock are slaughtered for human consumption. Slaughterers (stunners and bleeders) are important in society because they are the people whose task it is to convert livestock into meat. Approximately 56 billion animals are slaughtered worldwide, with 11 million animals slaughtered in South Africa annually for human consumption. Slaughtering animals for meat consumption is a contentious issue and is seen as dangerous work with many physical and psychological challenges. Research also suggests that slaughtering may be linked to violence and aggression amongst slaughterers working in the abattoir. The primary research question of this study is: How does slaughtering influence the well-being of slaughterers? Secondary research questions are: How do slaughterers experience their work? What are the occupational factors that influence the slaughterers’ well-being? Are there differences in the experiences and influence of slaughtering according to the different methods used (halaal, kosher and secular slaughtering)? How do slaughterers cope with their daily work challenges? Why do some slaughterers cope better than others? This is a qualitative, interpretive study and purposive sampling was used to access participants. The participants consist of 24 slaughterers, three of their family members and nine abattoir managers. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with participants and interview texts were analysed using interpretative thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings revealed that South Africa’s historical past of racial oppression was one of the main reasons why many secular slaughterers were working in these abattoirs. In contrast with this finding, the central reason why Muslim and Jewish participants were slaughterers was due to their religious purpose and many of them viewed their profession as a religious calling.While the halaal and secular slaughterers identified the many physical challenges involved in their work, in contrast, the kosher slaughterers did not mention any risk factors for injury and physical stress. All the slaughterers reported that they initially felt emotional when they began slaughtering but these emotions dissipated after a few days, weeks or months. They stated that over time they became accustomed to their work. This period is characterised by emotional desensitisation and can be associated with the hyper-masculine identity these men took on in the course of their work. Every slaughterer, irrespective of their religion, mentioned the importance of not bringing feelings into their work. There were only two halaal slaughterers and one secular slaughterer who briefly explored the psychological challenges of working in an abattoir. Management strategies, such as good communication, respect and job rotation were identified by the managers. Another key finding in the current study was that religious slaughterers viewed their work differently to secular slaughterers, and that prayer was an important coping strategy for religiously sanctioned slaughterers. Another central theme was fostering good relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues, which helped slaughterers maintain a positive outlook at work. The findings of the study revealed the physical, social, emotional and psychological challenges that slaughterers, working in the dirty area of an abattoir, may face. Although South Africa is known for its prevalence of violence, the current study did not find clear evidence of violent behaviour among slaughterers working in the dirty area of an abattoir, and thus stands in contrast to the studies by Fitzgerald, Kalof, and Dietz (2009) and Jacques (2015). Despite the violent nature of slaughtering and the fact that I have identified many physical and psychological challenges, it seems as if many of the slaughterers were resilient and well-adapted.