https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/14514 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 22:39:06 GMT 2026-06-19T22:39:06Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32636 Constructions of gender and power : South African mothers’ experiences of intimate partner violence and family court Harvey, Sharon J. Divorce and intimate partner violence, or domestic violence, have been well researched; however, the experiences of mothers' post-separation, and specifically during Family Court processes, in the context of domestic violence, has been less well-reviewed. Mothers' experiences of domestic violence after leaving abusive partners, and their postseparation experiences with Family Court, are for the most part poorly understood. This study aimed first to explore South African mothers’ experiences of Family Court processes in the context of intimate partner violence; and second, to explore the social constructions of gender and power in the context of Family Court and intimate partner violence, post separation. This qualitative study was underpinned by a social constructionist paradigmatic framework and a critical postmodern feminist theoretical approach. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Data was gathered until saturation using semi-structured face-to-face interviews and analysed by means of discourse analysis. Throughout the research process all ethical considerations were adhered to. The study found that mothers experienced ongoing abuse after separation and perceived the Family Court system as unsupportive and inadequate in addressing issues related to family violence, financial maintenance, and children's court matters. These systemic failures mirrored the dynamics of the abusive relationships. The research uncovered dominant discourses related to gendered narratives, dismissed safety concerns, and a perceived lack of knowledge or competence among experts and decision-makers regarding family violence, coercive control, and economic abuse, leading to long-term emotional and psychological trauma for the mothers and their children. These findings suggest the urgent need for systemic reform and a deeper understanding of the complex challenges around gender power imbalances that surround the Family Court system. Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32636 2025-02-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32634 Discrepancies between recruitment, selection process and personality assessment as contributors to corruption in policing in South Africa Letsoalo, Victor Mogale This study aimed to uncover psychological factors that contribute to corruption in the South African Police Service (SAPS). Corruption has been one of the challenges faced by the democratic government of the Republic of South Africa and it continues to be a threat to the development and security of the country. To investigate causes of corruption in policing, the study focused on discrepancies between the recruitment selection process and ethical behaviour among three groups of police officials. Employing a qualitative research design, the study addressed emerging questions, procedures, and data collected from research participants in their work environments. Participants were identified through purposive sampling, and they were classified into three groups, namely: newly recruited trainees of the SAPS with a six-month service record, permanent members with exemplary ethical behaviour and former members or serving members who were previously charged for contravening the regulations or charged for corruption. The study found that personality factors that are assessed during recruitment and selection fail to identify a personality type or character disposition that is “corruption-prone” or “corruptible”. Interviews with officials with a history of corruption revealed self-reports of behaviour consistent with what psychopathology literature terms the “antisocial personality” type, which recruitment and selection processes failed to identify. These participants, like all the members of the SAPS, went through psychological assessments and were recommended for enlistment in the SAPS. The findings further revealed organisational cultural factors that contribute to discontent among police officers, which could be linked to corrupt behaviour. Several organisational factors namely, lack of a cohesive Promotion Policy, inconsistent application of disciplinary procedures, lack of oversight over members in senior leadership creating a perception of “untouchability” of senior leadership by the rank-and-file officers, lack of ethical and principled leadership and lack of consequence management were found to cause discontent among members of the SAPS which could influence decisions to engage in corrupt behaviour. The golden thread in the reports from the participants over the six months during which data was gathered is that the SAPS is a "Personality Cult" centred around top officers. Senior officers possess such unchecked authority that they can act wantonly within the organisation, thus undermining official governance policies. Senior officers have arrogated themselves absolute and unbridled authority to hire, promote, and terminate at whim without any consequences. Consequently, the corruption exhibited by members in the public sphere may represent a form of "rebellion" against an organisation that, through the caprice of senior leadership, has failed to gain the respect of rank-and-file members. Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32634 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32580 The impact of the body positivity movement on the self-Image of Black, young fat women in South Africa Mbele, Matshidiso Innocentia Differences that don’t fit the norm, such as race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and body type create susceptibility to marginalisation. Individuals, specifically women, who exist in larger bodies experience marginalisation which perpetuates a weight-based stigma against them. The aim of this research study was to explore the experiences young, Black, fat South African women have with the Body Positivity Movement’s attempt to humanise this aspect of their identities. The literature review undertaken thus far suggests that Eurocentric and Western beauty and health ideals have a great influence on the ideals held by women of colour, especially African women in particular. The emergence of the Body Positivity Movement which brought along with it, respect, acceptance, appreciation and visibility of the unconventional body types seem to have empowered a lot of women, especially fat women. The increasing visibility and overt self-presentation of fat South African women on social media platforms illustrates the complex and often contradictory interplay between historically entrenched Eurocentric beauty ideals and the lived bodily experiences of Black South African women. This expression of corporeality in digital spaces serves not only as evidence of the pervasive influence of Western aesthetic standards that have long privileged thinness, complexion, and body proportions aligned with Euro-American norms—but also highlights the ways in which these women negotiate, resist, and reconfigure such ideals in their everyday practices of self-representation. Their active participation in online visual cultures suggests a shifting relationship to self-image, wherein the internalisation of Eurocentric beauty hierarchies coexists with emerging forms of self-affirmation catalysed in part by the body positivity movement. The research design was that of an exploratory qualitative nature and was conducted from a social constructionist paradigm with Black Feminist Thought and Endarkened Feminist Epistemology as the guiding frameworks. The sample consisted of nine participants who were recruited through purposive and volunteer sampling. Data was collected through the use of indepth semi-structured interviews in order to explore the experiences and views of Black, fat South African women with the body positivity movement. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the data and the results suggest that the Body Positivity Movement’s impact extends beyond a change in attitude to fundamental shifts in embodied experience, cultural belonging and the phenomenological structure of self- perception among Black, fat South African women.; Diphapang tse sa dumellaneng le tlwaelo, jwalo ka morabe, ditumelo tsa bodumedi, tshekamelo ya ho kopanela diphate le mofuta wa mmele di etsa hore ho be le monyetla wa ho kgeswa. Batho ka bomong, haholo-holo basadi, ba phelang ka mmele e meholwanyane ba na le ho kgeswa, e leng se etsang hore ba be le sekgobo se thehilweng ho boima ba mmele kgahlanong le bona. Sepheo sa thutopatlisiso e e ne e le ho sekaseka tseo basadi, ba batsho ba Afrika Borwa ba nang le maiteko ona a Movemente wa Kananelo le Kamohelo ya Mmele ka ho fapana a ho etsa hore karolo eno ya boitshupo ba bona e be le botho. Tlhahlobo ya tse ngotsweng e entseng e fana ka maikutlo a hore botle le bophelo bo botle ba Bophirima ba Eurocentric le Bophirima di na le tshusumetso e kgolo mehopolong ya basadi ba mebala, haholo-holo basadi ba Afrika. Ho hlaha ha Movemente wa Kananelo le Kamohelo ya Mmele ka ho fapana ha ona e ileng ya tlisa hammoho le yona, tlhompho, ho amohelwa, kananelo le ponahalo ya mefuta e sa tlwaelehang ya mmele ho bonahala e matlafaditse basadi ba bangata, haholo-holo basadi ba mafura. Ponahalo e ntseng e eketseha le ho itlhahisa pepeneneng ha basadi ba batenya ba Afrika Borwa metjheng ya ditaba tsa setjhaba di bontsha tshebedisano e rarahaneng le eo hangata e hananang dipakeng tsa menahano ya kgale ya botle ba Eurocentric le diphihlelo tsa mmele tsa basadi ba batsho ba Afrika Borwa. Polelo ena ya corporeality dibakeng tsa dijithale ha e sebetse feela e le bopaki ba tshusumetso e atileng ya ditekanyetso tsa botle ba Bophirima tseo e leng kgale di na le monyetla wa ho ba mosesaane, letlalo le dikarolo tsa mmele tse tsamaellanang le ditlwaelo tsa Euro-American — empa hape e totobatsa ditsela tseo basadi bana ba buisanang ka tsona, ba hanang le ho hlophisa botjha mehopolo e jwalo mekgweng ya bona ya letsatsi le letsatsi ya ho ikemela. Ho nka karolo ha bona ka mafolofolo ditsong tsa pono tsa marang-rang ho fana ka maikutlo a kamano e fetohang le boitshwaro, moo ho kenyeletswa ka hare ho maemo a botle a Eurocentric ho kopantseng le mefuta e hlahang ya boitlamo bo hlahisitsweng ke Movemente wa Kananelo le Kamohelo ya mmele ka ho fapana ha yona. Moralo wa dipatlisiso e ne e le wa boleng ba tlhahlobo mme o entswe ho tswa ho paradigm ya kaho ya setjhaba e nang le Black Feminist Thought le Endarkened Feminist Epistemology e le meralo e tataisang. Mohlala o ne o e-na le bankakarolo ba robong ba ileng ba thaothwa ka disampole tse nang le sepheo le boithaopo. Dintlha di ile tsa bokellwa ka tshebediso ya dipuisano tse tebileng tsa semi-structured ho hlahloba diphihlelo le maikutlo a basadi ba batsho, ba nonneng ba Afrika Borwa ba nang le Movemente wa Kamohelo le Kananelo ya mmele ka ho fapana ha yona. Tlhaloso ya Phenomenological Analysis e ile ya sebediswa ho sekaseka dintlha, mme diphetho di fana ka maikutlo a hore phehello ya Movemente wa kamohelo le kananelo ya mmele ka ho fapana ha yona e fetela ka nqane ho phetoho ya maikutlo ho diphetoho tsa motheo tsa phihlelo e kenyelletsweng, ho ba setso le sebopeho sa phenomenological ya ho ipona hara basadi ba batsho, ba nonneng ba Afrika Borwa.; Umehluko ongahambisani nemikhuba ejwayelekile, efana njengobuhlanga, izinkolelo zenkolo, ukuzibandakanya ngokocansi kanye nokwakheka komzimba kuvimba ukuthola izinsiza. Amalunga, ikakhulukazi abesifazane, abaphila nemizimba emikhulu bazithola benqandeka ekutholeni izinsiza okubhebhethekisa isihlava esicwasa isisindo somzimba. Inhloso yalolucwaningo ukubuyekeza izimo abantu besifazane abamnyama, abasebancane baseNingizimu Afrika abakhuluphele abanobudlelwano nenhlangano egqugquzela ukuzithemba ngomzimba ngokwamukela ubuwena. Ukubhekwa kwezinye izihloko ezibhalwe ngabanye ongcweti kuveza ukuba ubuhle baseYurophu naseNtshonalanga kanye nezindlela zempilo bunomthelela omkhulu kwindlela abesizafazane bebala, kanye nabesifazane base Afrika ngokukhethekile. Ukuphakama koMkhankaso Wokuthanda Umzimba okulethe ukuhlonishwa, ukwamukelwa, ukuqashelwa nokubonakala kwezinhlobo zomzimba ezingajwayelekile kubonakala kunike abesifazane abaningi amandla, ikakhulukazi abesifazane abanokukhuluphala. Ukubonakala okukhulayo nokuziveza ngokusobala kwabesifazane abakhulu baseNingizimu Afrika ezinkundleni zokuxhumana kukhombisa ukudidiyela okunzima futhi okuvame ukuphikisana phakathi kwezimiso zobuhle ezibekwe emlandweni ezisuselwa eYurophu kanye nezinto eziphilwayo zomzimba zabesifazane abamnyama baseNingizimu Afrika. Lokhu kukhombisa ubuqotho bomzimba ezindaweni zedijithali akukhombisi nje kuphela ubufakazi bokuthi izinga lobuhle lasentshonalanga elibeke phambili ukuncipha komzimba, umbala wesikhumba kanye nezilinganiso zomzimba ezifana nezaseYurophu naseMelika lithinteka kanjani—futhi kugcizelela izindlela lapho abesifazane bebhekana, bemelana futhi belungisa kabusha lezi zimiso ezinhle ekuziphatheni kwabo nsuku zonke. Ukubamba kwabo iqhaza eliqhubekayo emasikweni okubonwayo aku-inthanethi kubonisa ukuguquka kobudlelwane nesithombe somuntu, lapho ukufakwa ngaphakathi kwezinhlelo zobuhle ezise-Europe kusebenzisana nezindlela ezikhulayo zokuzazisa ezishukumiselwe ingxenye yeMikhankaso Wokwamukela Umzimba. Umgomo wocwaningo wawunesimiso sokuhlola ngokwekhwalithi futhi wenziwa kusukela kumqondo womphakathi wokwakha izindlela zokucabanga zabesifazane abamnyama kanye ne-Endarkened Feminist Epistemology njengohlaka oluholwa phambili. Isampula yayiqukethe ababambiqhaza abayisishiyagalolunye abaqashwe ngokukhethekile nangokuzithandela. Idatha yaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa izingxoxo ezijulile ezingahleleki ngokuphelele ukuze kuhlolwe izipiliyoni nombono wabesifazane abamnyama, abesifazane baseNingizimu Afrika abakhulu mayelana ne-Body Positivity Movement. Ukuhlaziywa Kwe-Phenomenological kusetshenziswe ukuhlaziya Abstracts and keywords in English, Southern Sotho, and IsiZulu Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32580 2026-02-20T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32504 Advice from the oracle: the structuring of the parenting plans for special needs children in South Africa from conflict to consensus Standon, Lenmarie Divorce rates are increasing globally, and research suggests that successful co-parenting post-divorce, as characterised by the absence of conflict, positive communication, and collaboration, is beneficial for children’s behavioural outcomes, academic achievement, and psychological well-being. With an increasing number of special needs children, the courts are faced with a growing number of separation and divorce cases involving these vulnerable children. Care and contact evaluations and parenting plans have a profound impact on children and family adjustment post-divorce. The focus of this research is on special needs children with learning disorders, cognitive impairments, chronic developmental disorders, physical disabilities, serious medical conditions, and severe psychiatric and behavioural disorders affected by separation and divorce. The lack of parenting plan guidelines in South Africa is a cause of concern for psycho-legal professionals and families. The information generated by this research will provide guidelines for the development of parenting plans to assist this vulnerable population. This study took a qualitative research approach and collected data using two rounds of semi-structured interviews utilising the Delphi method. The findings culminated in a consensus on 10 guidelines to assist the court in making decisions that will be in the best interest of the special needs child. Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32504 2025-08-01T00:00:00Z