Browsing by Author "Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla"

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
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    An analysis of the manifestations of trauma following psychological abuse, and an examination of the process of recovery
    (2006) Laas, Sarah Jane; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    This research aimed to provide an in-depth analysis of the experiences of unmarried women subjected to prolonged psychological and emotional abuse within intimate relationships. The manifestations of trauma were investigated, including the psychological ramifications of exposure to repeated emotional abuse, as well as the nature of psychological captivity and the factors that prevented these women from leaving their abusers. The influence of societal gender relations on the women's experiences of abuse was explored, and an examination of the women's processes of recovery was conducted. The sample consisted of 10 women: four white participants, four black participants, and two coloured participants. The age of the participants at the time of interviewing ranged from 19 years of age to 30 years of age. Individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data was analysed using thematic analysis.
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    An analysis of the narratives of war-rape of refugee women through their social workers
    (2007) Phiri, Claudia; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    Sexual violence has been increasingly used against women during conflicts. The harm of war on women has been poorly visible due to the associated stigma and traditions that blame women for male sexual exploitation. As a result, it creates a collusion of secrecy around issues of sexual violence between women, perpetrators and society. Present literature on issues of trauma tends to draw on a PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) model with a focus on the individual. As a result, it restricts, and limits the experiences of refugee women by neglecting a collective view of trauma. Research on the war rape experiences of refugee women is a step towards making the harm of war more visible and provides a meaning and context for their experiences.
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    Childhood sexual abuse and HIV positive status among South African women : the role of revictimization
    (2006) George, Meg; Kaminer, Debbie; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    South Africa has a very high rate of HIV infection, particularly among women. This exploratory study investigated the role of revictimization in the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult HIV positive status among women being treated at district clinics in Cape Town The present study utilized both psychological and feminist theories to understand internal psychological dynamics and contextual factors that impact on revictimization leading to increased HIV risk. A qualitative feminist methodology with a collective case study design utilizing five in-depth interviews was conducted with HIV positive women who had experienced child sexual abuse. The central findings of the study revealed psychological patterns of negative stigmatization, self-blame, mistrust and isolation which may fuel a dependent need for connection with intimate partners, thereby increasing risk for revictimization. Revictimization was pervasively present in adulthood, with HIV infection being a consequence of ongoing sexual and/or physical assault in long-term intimate relationship. Participants reported not using condoms consistently. For these participants, an incapacity to insist on condom use by partners was understood in the context of ongoing sexual and physical violence and threats by their partners, rather than unassertiveness as has been commonly noted. In essence, it was noted in this study that participants who experienced child sexual abuse were disempowered due to both psychological processes and broader social inequities which made them particularly vulnerable to contracting HIV. However, the findings are provisional due to the methodology utilized. Recommendations for future research and HIV prevention and policy are offered.
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    The experience of witnesses who testified at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: testimonial process and psychological healing in the aftermath of trauma
    (2011) Mohamed, Ahmed-Riaz; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between the experience of testifying before the TRC among victims and survivors of gross human rights abuses, and the objectives that were set out by the TRC with regard to healing.
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    Exploring the ethical principle of social responsibility and other ethical issues in the context of the mental health professional' response to xenophobic violence in Cape Town
    (2009) Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    The violence of political conflict and wars that have led to humanitarian crises, creating increased numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe, have focused attention on the psychology profession's responsibility in the broader social and political issues that affect individuals, families, and communities. The principle of social responsibility, which forms part of most international codes for professional psychology, provides a framework for this expanded role of psychologists. This article explores the meaning of the concept and practice of social responsibility using as backdrop the mental health professionals' response to the xenophobic violence that broke out nationally in South Africa in May 2008. The article explores some ethical dilemmas faced by psychologists in their work in one of the safe sites created for victims and survivors of xenophobic violence in Cape Town. It argues that compared to the psychotherapeutic framework, which is based on the individual as the unit of analysis and treatment, social responsiveness invites a much more complex relational experience that often requires psychologists to play multiple roles as part of their intervention. The article concludes with reflections about how engagement in social responsibility might create an opportunity for dialogue about the centrality of an ethics of care and compassion in professional psychology.
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    An in-depth analysis of the psychological challenges associated with disclosing an HIV
    (2006) Pezi, Sinawe; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    The availability and free-access of ARV-treatment in South Africa has been a signifier of hope amongst fellow South Africans. This in effect has led to the government's assumption that the disclosure of an HIV/AIDS-infected status would be easier due to the treatment's effectiveness. Disclosing an HIV/AIDS-infected status to the individual/s with whom one cohabits with, has thus been made a policy by the government in order to be able to access ARV-treatment. This study examined the psychological challenges associated with disclosing an HIV/AIDS-infected status to the individuals one lives with, and the possible impact that such challenges have on ARV-treatment adherence.
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    The memory of the past and the struggle with the present : an investigation into the restorative possibilities of providing public testimony at South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
    (2007) Mohamed, Ahmed-Riaz; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    The aim of this study was to examine the complex issue of healing in relation to the TRC. More specifically, it addressed questions regarding retraumatisation through testimony as well as the immediate and also longer-term effects of providing public testimony by accessing the lived experiences of victims in their post-testimony lives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 individuals who had experienced a gross violation of human rights and who had provided public testimony to the TRC. Thematic analysis of the interview data reveal themes of traumatisation by human rights violations, presence of social support, testimonial significance and the influence of the post-traumalpost-TRC context.
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    Negotiating the atrocious past : an exploration of the impact of the legacies of the Nazi-period on the third generation of post-war Germans
    (2007) Fuchs, Oliver; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-89).
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    A relational psychoanalytic exploration of the intergenerational transmission of trauma from mothers to their adult children
    (2011) Bradfield, Bruce Christopher; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    This dissertation aims to investigate and describe the inter-generational transmission of trauma from mothers with a history of interpersonal trauma to their adult children, in the context of the relationship between mother and child. Through this the research aims to articulate the conscious and unconscious relational and intra-psychic processes by which trauma is transmitted from mothers to their adult children.
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    The representation of Black masculinity in post-apartheid children's literature.
    (2013) Thyssen, Candy Lynn; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla; Boonzaier, Floretta
    The significant changes to the political landscape of South Africa since the abolition of apartheid and the implementation of democracy have had far-reaching effects in social order and gender relations. With the new dispensation has come the promise of new opportunities for men and women of all races to participate fully in the creation of a multicultural society, making the issue of transformation an important agenda. As a social artifact, children's literature has also been influenced by these changes, and the didactic function of this medium make it an interesting site to explore the ways in which historical stereotypes are both perpetuated and challenged. This study focused on the representation of black masculinity in a sample of South African children's literature published after apartheid. The aim was to investigate how race, gender, and class intersect in the representation of black masculinity.
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    Understanding school dropout among adolescents in a rural site of southern Zambia
    (2009) Munsaka, Ecloss; Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla
    The study of school dropout in Zambia is still in its infancy. Apart from the countrywide annual surveys conducted by the Ministry of Education, no in-depth study on school dropout seems to have been conducted. These surveys have consistently indicated that school dropout is most common among rural adolescents. Thus, this study sought to have an in-depth understanding of the factors that influenced rural adolescents to drop out of school by drawing a purposive sample of 10 dropouts, 10 parents of the dropouts, five teachers from the school attended by the dropouts in a rural site of southern Zambia.