Browsing by Author "De Villiers, Suzanne"

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    Mothering as a three-generational process : the psychological experience of low-income mothers sharing childcare with their mothers
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011-03) De Villiers, Suzanne; Kruger, Lou-Marie; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Very little is known about the psychological experiences related to childcare use among lowincome mothers in South Africa. In rural and semi-rural communities, where affordable and accessible childcare is almost non-existent, low-income mothers often have no alternative but to rely on their own mothers for childcare. Despite strong theoretically based indications that these particular childcare arrangements are psychologically complex, research on this topic is almost completely lacking. This dissertation sets out to investigate (a) how childcare arrangements (including multigenerational childcare) manifest in one particular low-income South African community, and (b) how low-income South African mothers experienced the use of childcare psychologically. This study was set in a poor, semi-rural, so-called Coloured community in the Western Cape, South Africa. Two open-ended, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight participants. The transcribed interviews were analysed using constructivist grounded theory and case studies in a sequential data analysis approach. Theoretically, this study was informed by postmodernism, social constructionism, feminism and psychoanalytic theory. The data analysis resulted in a detailed documentation of the range of childcare arrangements utilised by the participants. It further showed that contextual, relational and personal constraints made it impossible for the participants to mother and care for their children as they wanted to. The participants had to compromise on their childcare ideals and this created a range of psychological and emotional sequelae. In order to cope with these, the participants resorted to both conscious and unconscious coping mechanisms and processes. The findings indicated that the use of multigenerational childcare was psychologically complex, as mother-daughter relationships consciously and unconsciously impacted on childcare decision-making, the emotional and psychological repercussions and the participants’ coping therewith. The absence of men and fathers in the provision of childcare concurred with international findings on the gendered nature of childcare. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that mothering and childcare are indeed issues of concern to low-income mothers. It is also a subject that warrants further investigation in the discipline of psychology. Recommendations in this regard are included and highlight the need to use theoretical frameworks and research methods that are sensitive to the multilayered, complex psychological experiences of motherhood and childcare among low-income women.
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    The principle of respect for autonomy and the sterilization of people with intellectual disabilities
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002-04) De Villiers, Suzanne; Van Niekerk, Anton A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The implementation of eugenic policies reached its peak during the zo" century when thousands of people with intellectual disabilities and other "undesirable qualities" were involuntary sterilized. Although most of the eugenic policies have been removed, countries such as South Africa, still make legally provision for the involuntary sterilization of people with intellectual disabilities. Torbjërn Tannsjë (1998) used the "argument from autonomy" to argue that involuntary sterilization practices are wrong because it involves compulsion. According to him, society should never interfere with people's reproductive choices and people should never be required to qualify for the right to have children. The aim of this assignment was to systematically assess the "argument from autonomy" as far as the policy of involuntary sterilization of people with intellectual disabilities is concerned. To this end, the concept of autonomy and the principle of respect for autonomy are discussed and applied to the intellectually disabled. It is argued that autonomy and respect for autonomy are useful concepts to apply to some people with intellectual disabilities. These individuals should not be automatically assumed to be incompetent, but their competence needs to be determined on an individual level, with reference to the complexity of the decision to be made. Special effort is needed from health care professionals to obtain (where possible) informed consent from people with intellectual disabilities. The application of the principle of respect for autonomy to matters of reproduction leads to the conclusion that people with severe to profound levels of disability, are unable to provide informed consent for sexual intercourse. Therefore some form of paternalistic protection is needed for these individuals. People with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities who are however competent to consent to sexual intercourse should never be prohibited from procreation by means of involuntary sterilization. State interference in matters of reproduction should be limited to interventions where (i) children are seriously harmed by parents and (ii) to protect those who are incompetent to consent to sexual interactions with others. Apart from these exceptions, the intellectually disabled is entitled to the same procreative rights as all other citizens.
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    The assessment of interpersonal schemas : an evaluation of the interpersonal schema questionnaire
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1996) De Villiers, Suzanne; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of . Dept. of .