Browsing by Author "Pohl, Susanna Maria"
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemExploring the programme-related experiences of graduates of a pilot preventative intervention for adolescent girls at risk to gang activity in a peri-urban community(2019-04) Pohl, Susanna Maria; Naidoo, Anthony V.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gangsterism is a perennial problem that negatively affects disadvantaged communities worldwide. This thesis describes how a local non-governmental organization responded to the increasing concern regarding gangsterism and its impact on adolescent girls in a peri-urban Stellenbosch community. It examines formative participant feedback regarding Usiko Stellenbosch’s attempts to intervene with vulnerabilities that one group of high school girls face due to high levels of gang activity in their community. The thesis expands on the limited body of psychological and community knowledge regarding girls and gangs. It provides recommendations for interventions aimed at this group and describes how research collaboration with community partners led to empowerment in order to address the problem of gangsterism in the target community. Being epistemologically rooted in the community psychology paradigm, this study assumed a qualitative, Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) design. Ecological approaches linked to the theories of Bronfenbrenner and Prilleltensky and Nelson were utilised in making meaning from the participants’ feedback regarding their subjective experiences of the Usiko Women with Vision (UWWV) programme. Feedback data constituted of archival recordings of four group processes that had taken place as part of the intervention, and post-programme interviews that were conducted with eight UWWV graduates. ATLAS.ti software was used to conduct a thematical analysis of the data. Analysis of the data resulted in four themes: (1) Programme impacts and outcomes; (2) Intervention characteristics; (3) Sisterhood; (4) Amelioration of gang risk. These indicated that the UWWV programme effectively contributed to buffering its participants against the gang-related risks embedded in their context. The findings also provided specific directions for further programme development. Core findings included confirmation of gender differences that are described in the literature pertaining to adolescent gang-involvement, and identification of methods to satisfy gender-specific needs which often pre-empt gang involvement in girls.