Browsing by Author "Van Pletzen, Ermien"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    The complexity of rural contexts experienced by community disability workers in three southern African countries
    (AOSIS OpenJournals, 2015-06-09) Booyens, Margaret; Van Pletzen, Ermien; Lorenzo, Theresa
    An understanding of rural communities is fundamental to effective community-based rehabilitation work with persons with disabilities. By removing barriers to community participation, persons with disabilities are enabled to satisfy their fundamental human needs. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the challenges that rural community disability workers (CDWs) face in trying to realise these objectives. This qualitative interpretive study, involving in-depth interviews with 16 community disability workers in Botswana, Malawi and South Africa, revealed the complex ways in which poverty, inappropriately used power and negative attitudes of service providers and communities combine to create formidable barriers to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in families and rural communities. The paper highlights the importance of understanding and working with the concept of ‘disability’ from a social justice and development perspective. It stresses that by targeting attitudes, actions and relationships, community disability workers can bring about social change in the lives of persons with disabilities and the communities in which they live.
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    Everyone has a view of literacy : learners' perceptions of literacy and their practices at home and at school
    (2007) Kendal, Charmaine Allana; Van Pletzen, Ermien
    This is an ethnographic study of how learners write about, speak about, depict and value their literacy activities at home and how this links with their performance at school. It also examines the shift in learners' perceptions of literacy through their involvement in the research project. The theoretical framework for the research is drawn from the New Literacy Studies with its emphasis on the autonomous and ideological models ofliteracy (as formulated by Street) and on literacy as situated practice. The data is a series of literacy activities, of seven learner profiles made up of their writing, literacy inventories, photographic depictions, focus group discussions, semi structured interviews, and tasks assessed in the formal academic domain. Critical Discourse Analysis is used as a tool for the analysis of some of the data and traces the similarities and differences in the kinds of literacy activities that learners engage in, ranging from homework to hobbies, cell phones, conversations, computer games and so forth. Interpretation of the data also draws on Gee's theory of primary and secondary Discourses.
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    Inclusive education for deaf students: literacy practices and South African sign language
    (Taylor & Francis, 2012) Glaser, Meryl; Van Pletzen, Ermien
    This article considers the feasibility of inclusive education for Deaf students in a mainstream Further Education and Training (FET) classroom through the use of a South African Sign Language interpreter. It revisits the centrality of language in Deaf students' education and reports on progressive policy changes in the areas of language, education and disability in South Africa. The article surveys classroom discourse and literacy practices in a mainstream FET classroom, focusing particularly on students' acquisition of text literacy skills in Business English. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from the New Literacy Studies, Critical Discourse Analysis and the Social Model of Disability, the article argues that there is definitely potential for establishing inclusive education for Deaf students in a mainstream classroom. It however highlights that there are many difficulties and challenges around providing fully inclusive education for Deaf students. It was found that the signed interpretations in this classroom frequently represent an impoverished form of language while some types of pedagogic practice impede the interpreter's signing. The article concludes that interpreters and teachers need to be trained in forms of language and pedagogy that would benefit all students in class, including Deaf students.
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    Recall of early non-fatal suicidality in a nationally representative sample of South Africans
    (Taylor & Francis, 2012) Van Pletzen, Ermien; Stein, Dan J; Myer, Landon; Williams, David R
    Objectives. Little is known about socio-demographic patterns of non-fatal suicidality in early life in South Africa. We investigated the prevalence of self-reported early suicidality (suicidal ideation, planning and attempts) in a nationally representative sample of South Africans. Design. As part of a larger mental health survey, 3158 individuals aged over 25 years were asked to recall whether they engaged in non-fatal suicidal behaviour in early life (measured from childhood to 25 years). Race-based discrimination institutionalised under Apartheid profoundly influenced delivery and outcomes in health and other social services. Racial categories entrenched during Apartheid were therefore used to analyse data collected from individuals born before 1946, 1947-1956, 1957-1966 and 1967-1976. Results. 3.4% (95% CI=2.6-4.1) of participants recalled early suicidal behaviour. The youngest group (born 1967-1976) recalled higher rates of early suicidality than older groups in all races. In unadjusted analysis, White people were 2.84 (95% CI=1.62-4.97) and Coloured people 1.84 (95% CI=1.15-2.93) times more likely than Black people to recall early suicidality. Individuals growing up in urban and higher socio-economic settings were approximately twice (OR=2.2; 95% CI=1.14-4.28 and OR=1.92; 95% CI=1.27-2.90) as likely to recall early suicidality as those growing up in rural and lower socio-economic settings. Those with post-primary education were 2.79 (CI=1.71-4.53) times as likely to recall early suicidality as those with no or only primary education. Racial differences ceased to be significant after adjustment for rural/urban location and other socioeconomic measures estimated for early life. Conclusion. The study provides novel evidence of increasing levels of early non-fatal suicidality recalled by younger South Africans. Levels appeared significantly higher in Whites than in Blacks. Socio-economic contexts in early life were interpreted as mediators rather than confounders of the association between race and recalled early suicidality. The findings for decreased levels of suicidality among participants growing up in lower socio-economic strata and rural settings in South Africa require further investigation. The need for widespread suicide prevention programmes targeting young people at a population level is emphasised.
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    A study to explore the role of community disability workers in facilitating livelihood opportunities for disabled youth in rural areas of Southern Botswana
    (2015) Kabaso, Bryson Nsama; Lorenzo, Theresa; Van Pletzen, Ermien
    Purpose: This study aimed to explore the role of Community Disability Workers (CDWs) in facilitating livelihood opportunities for disabled youth in rural Southern Botswana. The CDWs in the study worked in Community- based Rehabilitation (CBR) programmes. The elements of the Livelihood component of CBR Guidelines include skills development, self-employment, waged employment, financial assistance and social security. In particular, the study presented the knowledge, skills, practices (activities and methods), and strategies used by CDWs to facilitate access to the livelihood opportunities for disabled youths in rural areas. The literature review explored CBR as a strategy for addressing the needs and demands of people with disabilities. Botswana has implemented a CBR programme which is co-ordinated at the Rehabilitation Division of the Ministry of Health and involves disabled people, health professionals, the community and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Community health workers coordinate disability activities in rural as well as urban areas and comprise a range of health care practitioners namely physiotherapists, social workers, rehabilitation technicians, rehabilitation officers and health education assistants. In this study, community health workers were referred to as CDWs and only those with tertiary qualifications (certificate, diploma or degree level of training) were used as participants. Methodology: A qualitative research approach using a case study design was adopted. Purposive sampling was used to select seven participants from districts in the southern part of Botswana to participate in the study. The unit of study were the practices of the CDW in facilitating access to livelihood opportunities for disabled youth. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with the CDWs. Interviews were digitally recorded and later transcribed verbatim. Analysis of data involved coding for themes and categories emerging from the data in the context within which it appeared. The environmental chapters of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) were used for data interpretation. Findings: The findings of the study illustrated the role of CDWs in facilitating livelihood opportunities for disabled youth. Five themes that emerged were related to CDWs’ own experience of disability and rural environments, their knowledge and experience in facilitating livelihoods; their practices and strategies; the barriers to participation experienced by disabled youth; and lastly, the CDWs’ suggestions for increasing participation and inclusion of disabled youth in livelihood opportunities. The findings established that CDWs were involved in facilitating access to health facilities and assistive devices as well as education and skills development. Some strategies used were advocacy, networking, information dissemination, role modelling and follow-ups on former students. The barriers identified were inadequate disability policy; absence of disability friendly public facilities and transport; a poorly resourced public education system and inaccessible job markets. Suggestions made by CDWs included having inclusive policies and structures; addressing educational and training needs; accountability regarding employment; and community sensitisation and mobilisation. The Discussion chapter interpreted the findings in terms of current literature and developed two further themes. One addressed the environmental factors impacting on disability and the other one addressed successful strategies to enhance livelihood opportunities in light of these environmental factors. Recommendations included facilitating information on accessibility of assistive devices; minimising barriers to natural and made-made changes to the environment; building a network of supportive relationships; changing attitudes of community as well as government leadership; and facilitating implementation of inclusive services, systems and policies. In Conclusion, CDWs are well placed to facilitate accessibility of livelihood opportunities for disabled youth. However, they need to be empowered with necessary resources such as disability inclusive policies, systems and services, attitudinal changes and revision of their training modules.
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    Teaching communicative competence in Health Sciences Education: An analysis of medical students' first biopsychosocial interview in a clinical setting
    (2017) Moller, Natalie; Van Pletzen, Ermien; Gunston, Geney D
    Objective: Communicative competence is recognised as essential for establishing an effective doctorpatient relationship. A Primary Health Care-led curriculum places this established relationship at the heart of all interactions and interventions between the patient and the health professional. Medical students at the University of Cape Town are taught in the Clinical Skills Department how to communicate and interact with patients in the pre-clinical years of training using primarily role play. This study examines how medical students transform classroom-based teaching into authentic clinical practice that follows Primary Health care principles in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the Clinical Skills strategy for teaching communicative competence. Methodology: Video recordings of three authentic clinical interviews conducted by medical students taking their first comprehensive biopsychosocial interview in a clinical area were analysed. This data was supported by scrutiny of the intended learning outcomes of all pre-clinical courses in which aspects of communication competence was taught as well as teaching observations made of the students within the classroom Conclusion: The study revealed that although the students could structure a biopsychosocial interview the nuances of building a professional relationship with the patient as envisioned in a Primary Health Care-led curriculum proved difficult for them. These findings suggest that using a single pedagogical method in the Clinical Skills department, namely role play, may not be sufficient for teaching medical students how to place the needs of the patient first above their need to learn, diagnose and treat the patient.
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    Writer's stance in disciplinary discourses: a developmental view
    (Taylor & Francis, 2008) Paxton, Moragh; Van Pletzen, Ermien; Archer, Arlene; Arend, Moeain; Chihota, Clement
    An approach to writer's stance will differ depending on whether one looks at it from an analytic theoretical perspective or a developmental perspective. This article describes a training activity in the Writing Centre at the University of Cape Town which led the authors to evaluate the concept of writer's stance as used in corpus studies against the way it is used by academic literacy practitioners working in developmental fields. Corpus analysts tend to construct a general and theoretical conceptualisation of writer's stance, while academic literacy practitioners who work in complex developmental fields focus on what actually happens (or needs to happen) when individual readers or writers grapple with texts within particular social environments such as academic disciplines.