https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/1 2026-10-01T04:22:09Z 2026-10-01T04:22:09Z Emebet Mekonnen Fara https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/33095 2026-09-22T18:38:13Z 2026-01-14T00:00:00Z

Community perspectives and maternal health programme uptake : the Sidama region of Ethiopia Emebet Mekonnen Fara This thesis investigates the complex factors influencing maternal healthcare service utilisation in the Sidama region of Ethiopia, where preventable complications remain major contributors to elevated levels of maternal mortality. A qualitative approach successfully delivered rich and nuanced data collected among a diverse group of participants, including mothers and members of their communities, as well as health professionals. The research offers a comprehensive analysis of how systemic barriers, access to resources, health-facility-related factors, social norms, cultural beliefs, and individual perspectives interact to shape maternal health-seeking behaviour in a resource constrained rural context. Poor transportation, unreliable electricity, and weak referral systems restrict access, while shortages of essential supplies, hidden costs, and facility-based experiences erode trust in the formal health system. Together with cultural preferences and social norms, these factors deter health service uptake, and interrupt continuity across antenatal, delivery, and postpartum care. A major contribution of the study lies in showing how structural failures are experienced relationally: women’s trust declines when promised referrals, transport, or respectful treatment do not materialise. Intra-household power dynamics, particularly the authority of husbands and mothers-in-law, further constrain women’s autonomy. The findings demonstrate that late initiation of antenatal care reduces the likelihood of skilled delivery and postpartum follow-up, while privacy concerns, cultural preferences (warmth during labour, prayer, traditional rituals), and a strong reliance on traditional birth attendants significantly deter facility deliveries. Both the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and the Socio-Ecological Model, in isolation accounted inadequately for these factors. Drawing on the work of Lee et al (2017), the thesis proposes an adaptation of these frameworks culminating in an integrated, context-sensitive conceptual framework. This framework highlights the importance of multi-level interventions that address institutional challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and disrespectful care practices, engage cultural norms, and promote women’s autonomy. The thesis argues that improved maternal health outcomes require holistic strategies that go beyond service expansion to address the layered systemic, social, cultural, and material realities faced by women in rural Ethiopia, and provides a refined, context-sensitive framework to guide more effective maternal health interventions in low-resource settings.

2026-01-14T00:00:00Z Kgabo, Mapitsi Latoya https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/33089 2026-09-22T14:42:31Z 2026-06-01T00:00:00Z

Assessing the role of the United Nations in tackling the Syrian refugee crisis : a social contract theory and human security analysis Kgabo, Mapitsi Latoya This study examines the United Nations’ (UN) intervention in the Syrian refugee crisis, a situation that has reignited international debate following the fall of Assad and the emergence of a new regime in December 2024. While acknowledging these developments as critical context, the study primarily evaluates the effectiveness of UN efforts in addressing the needs of Syrian refugees across five host countries: Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research analyses policy frameworks and implementation strategies, with particular emphasis on the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) applied across host countries. The study critically explores the responsibilities of states and international organisations toward refugee populations using classical social contract theory and human security analysis. The study concludes first that the Syrian state under former President Bashar al-Assad failed to satisfy the principles of the social contract as laid out by Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, and second, that although the UN has made notable strides in delivering emergency relief and safeguarding Syrian refugees, structural and operational challenges continue to hinder effective service delivery. Findings also reveal that UN interventions have been constrained by limited funding, governance challenges, and geopolitical volatility. Significant gaps persist in legal protection and in key sectors such as food aid, shelter, health, education, and employment, with progress uneven. Host country policies, donor priorities, and external shocks further shaped the organisation’s capacity to intervene, exposing inconsistencies in policy implementation and restrictions on intervention strategies. It underscores the urgent need for coordinated, inclusive, and context-sensitive approaches to better support refugee populations in evolving political and humanitarian settings.

2026-06-01T00:00:00Z Lukeso, Kuyokila Patience https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/33087 2026-09-22T14:11:21Z 2026-04-01T00:00:00Z

Sense of coherence, hope and burnout : an organisational support model for academic staff in an open distance e-learning context Lukeso, Kuyokila Patience This study developed an organisational support model (OSM) aimed at preventing occupational burnout among academic staff members in an Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) context. It undertook a cross-sectional quantitative survey among academic staff members at a South African ODeL institution, and the sample (N=308) included respondents who differed in terms of their gender, race, age, levels of education, and work experience. The literature review established a solid theoretical foundation for the research constructs, namely burnout, sense of coherence (SOC), and hope. It served to identify gaps, inform model development and hypothesis formulation, guide methodological decisions, and justify the study’s contribution. The literature review revealed theoretical relationships among a SOC, hope and burnout, and suggested that SOC and hope represent psychological resources that may serve to buffer against burnout in various contexts. It further was evident that burnout, SOC and hope could be measured by means of standardised and psychometrically sound instruments such as the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), the Sense of Coherence-Scale (SOC-S), and the Adult Hope Scale (AHS). The literature review provided a strong theoretical foundation for applying these psychometric instruments in the study, contributing to its credibility and practical value, and laying the groundwork for the empirical study and proposed model. The components of the model featured two psychological resources, namely a SOC and hope. In the empirical study, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) served to specify and estimate the model and assess model fit. Descriptive statistics served to determine baseline levels of the research constructs, contextualise respondents’ psychological wellbeing, based on the collected data, and justify the need for an OSM. Inferential statistics, including multi-level mediation modelling, regression analysis and tests for significant mean differences, served to test the statistical significance of the hypothesised relationships among the research constructs, establish causal pathways between them, and support evidence-based organisational interventions. The results indicated meaningful causal pathways between burnout, SOC, and hope across various levels, providing robust empirical evidence to inform and justify organisational interventions aimed at enhancing academic staff members’ wellbeing. The model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data. The path analysis indicated that sense of coherence (SOC) had a strong negative effect on burnout, suggesting that respondents with a higher SOC reported lower levels of burnout. The effect of hope on burnout, however, was not significant, indicating that hope did not directly reduce burnout but may have had an indirect influence through other psychological mechanisms. A positive association was also observed between SOC and hope, suggesting that these constructs may mutually reinforce one another. The research made a theoretical contribution to improving academic staff members’ wellbeing by empirically validating both the direct and indirect buffering effects of SOC and hope on their exposure to burnout. At a practical level, the OSM model may support interventions aimed improving academic staff members’ wellbeing in ODeL settings.; Patlisiso eno e tlhagisitse sekai sa tshegetso ya mokgatlho (Organisational Support Model – OSM) se se ikaeletseng go thibela go lapisiwa ke tiro (occupational burnout) mo badirising ba dithuto (academic staff) mo tikologong ya Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL). Patlisiso e dirisitse mokgwa wa quantitative wa cross-sectional ka go dira dipatlisiso (survey) mo badirising ba dithuto mo setheong sengwe sa ODeL mo Aforika Borwa, mme sampole (N=308) e ne e akaretsa batlhatlheledi ba ba farologaneng ka bong, morafe, dingwaga, maemo a thuto, le maitemogelo a tiro. Tshekatsheko ya dibuka e ne ya tlhoma motheo o o nonofileng wa dithuto tsa thutotlhale (theoretical foundation) mabapi le dikgopolo tsa botlhokwa tsa patlisiso, e leng burnout, sense of coherence (SOC), le tsholofelo (hope). E thusitse go lemoga diphatlha tsa patlisiso, go kaela tlhamo ya sekai le go bopa dipolelo tsa diteko (hypotheses), go kaela ditshwetso tsa mokgwa wa patlisiso, le go netefatsa seabe sa patlisiso eno. Tshekatsheko ya dibuka e supile dikamano tsa thutotlhale magareng ga SOC, tsholofelo le burnout, mme ya akantsha gore SOC le tsholofelo ke didirisiwa tsa tlhaloganyo tse di ka thusang go fokotsa kgotsa go sireletsa kgatlhanong le burnout mo ditikologong tse di farologaneng. Gape go lemogilwe gore burnout, SOC le tsholofelo di ka lekanyediwa ka didirisiwa tse di tlhomamisitsweng tsa psychometric tse di jaaka Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-S), le Adult Hope Scale (AHS). Tshekatsheko eno e ne ya naya motheo o o tiileng wa go dirisa didirisiwa tseno mo patlisisong, ya oketsa botshepegi le boleng jwa yona, mme ya tlhoma motheo wa patlisiso ya empiriki le sekai se se sisintsweng. Dikarolo tsa sekai di ne di akaretsa didirisiwa tse pedi tsa tlhaloganyo, e leng SOC le tsholofelo. Mo patlisisong ya empiriki, go dirisitswe Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) go tlhalosa le go lekanya sekai le go sekaseka gore se dumalana jang le data (model fit). Dipalopalo tsa tlhaloso (descriptive statistics) di thusitse go bontsha maemo a motheo a dikgopolo tsa patlisiso, go tlhalosa maemo a botsogo jwa tlhaloganyo jwa batlhatlheledi, le go netefatsa tlhokego ya OSM. Dipalopalo tsa inferential, go akaretsa multi-level mediation modelling, regression analysis le diteko tsa pharologanyo ya mekgwa (mean differences), di dirisitswe go leka botlhokwa jwa dikamano tse di akantsweng, go tlhoma ditsela tsa causality magareng ga tsona, le go tshegetsa dithulaganyo tsa mokgatlho tse di theilweng mo bosuping. Dipholo di bontshitse dikamano tse di nang le bokao magareng ga burnout, SOC le tsholofelo mo maemong a a farologaneng, di naya bosupi jo bo nonofileng jwa go kaela dikgato tsa mokgatlho tse di ikaeletseng go tokafatsa botsogo jwa badirising ba dithuto. Mmotlolo o ne wa bontsha gore o dumalana sentle le datha e e neng ya kokoanngwa. Tshekatsheko ya ditsela tsotlhe (path analysis) e ne ya bontsha gore kutlwisiso ya kgolagano ya botshelo (Sense of Coherence – SOC) e na le seabe se segolo sa go fokotsa burnout, se se bontshang gore batlhatlhelediwa ba ba nang le maemo a a kwa godimo a SOC ba ne ba bontsha maemo a a kwa tlase a burnout. Le fa go ntse jalo, tshusumetso ya tsholofelo (hope) mo burnout e ne e se ya botlhokwa, e leng se se kayang gore tsholofelo ga e a ka ya fokotsa burnout ka tlhamalalo, mme e ka nna ya nna le seabe ka ditsela tse dingwe tsa saekholoji. Gape go ne ga lemogiwa kamano e e siameng magareng ga SOC le tsholofelo, se se bontshang gore dikakanyo tseno tsotlhe di ka nonotshana le go tshegetsana. Patlisiso eno e dirile seabe sa thutotlhale ka go tokafatsa botsogo jwa badirising ba dithuto ka go netefatsa ka bosupi phello e e tlhamaletseng le e e sa tlhamalalang ya SOC le tsholofelo mo go sireletseng kgatlhanong le burnout. Mo tirong ya nnete, sekai sa OSM se ka thusa go kaela dikgato tsa mokgatlho tse di ikaeletseng go tokafatsa botsogo jwa badirising ba dithuto mo tikologong ya ODeL. Abstracts in English and Setswana

2026-04-01T00:00:00Z Ballard, Steven Peter https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/33085 2026-09-22T13:45:49Z 2026-01-31T00:00:00Z

The house of God or a place to worship? : a critical phenomenological analysis of the ambiguities of sacred place in the Christian tradition Ballard, Steven Peter This study asks: How do Christians in selected UK congregations understand and experience sacred place, and to what extent do their accounts align with essentialist or socio-constructivist theories of sacred space? It tests whether sacredness is understood as an intrinsic property of the site, as “God's house”, or whether the sacred (or the Holy) is perceived wherever Christians gather to worship. The research adopts a critical phenomenological approach. I collected data through semi-structured interviews with forty-five participants across four Christian traditions in Scotland: the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Scotland, and the Society of Friends (in the latter case, I also visited a Quaker meeting house in northern England). I recruited participants through congregational invitations, except at the Scottish Episcopal Church, where the Rector insisted on their selection. The interviews explored personal experiences of sacred places, theological beliefs, and liturgical practices. I also included a quantitative exercise in which participants rated, on a 1-10 scale, their preference for two hymns that represented contrasting understandings of sacred places. Data analysis revealed patterns indicating how participants negotiate transcendence and immanence in the places where they worship. Findings showed that neither essentialist nor socio-constructivist models, taken in isolation, adequately explained participants’ experiences. Quantitatively, denominational averages varied: Roman Catholic participants averaged 4.5, indicating stronger alignment with the “God's house” view, while Scottish Episcopalian participants averaged 6.9, favouring the “where people gather” view. The Church of Scotland and the Society of Friends averaged 6.7 and 6.1, respectively, although the latter score was constrained by low participation at one site and by no engagement at the other. Qualitatively, three patterns emerged. First, participants held a dynamic understanding of sacred place, in which theological belief, liturgical practice, and spatial design interact, rather than viewing it as a static metaphysical reality or a purely social construct. Second, they experienced their places of worship as sites where transcendence and immanence meet, enabling both individual spiritual encounter and communal integration. Third, while some participants reported experiences of conflict or exclusion associated with sacred sites, others described therapeutic effects, including acceptance and social cohesion. The study proposes an integrated model that moves beyond the essentialism-versus-socio-constructivism binary. It argues that a sacred place is best understood as a lived, ongoing human experience in which divine transcendence is embodied in belief, ritual, and design. This model offers a framework for Christians and others to articulate the relationship among place, practice, and perception without reducing sacredness to a location or social context.

2026-01-31T00:00:00Z