Browsing by Author "Nyembe, Boy Timothy"

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    The attitudes of adolescents, parents and grandparents towards adolescent problems in a rapidly changing society
    (1988) Nyembe, Boy Timothy; Edwards, S.D.; Nene, L.M.
    The researcher's aim in this study was to identify and compare the attitudes of adolescents, parents and grandparents towards three adolescent problem variables. The researcher's point of departure was to review relevant literature on the generation gap phenomenon, adolescent premarital sexual relations, delinquent behaviour and the use of alcoholic beverages. A. Likert-type scale was constructed to measure the attitudes of adolescents, parents and grandparents towards adolescent premarital sexual relations) delinquent behaviour and use of alcoholic beverages. Three samples comprising 30 adolescents, 30 parents and 30 grandparents were randomly selected from the seven wards/ sections of the 42 Hill Location, Harrismith. Respondents were from the Zulu, South-Sotho, Tswana .and Xhosa ethnic groups. Illiterate and educated subjects were included in the study. The t-test and Chi-Square (ifi test results highlighted significant differences between the attitudes of adolescents and parents towards premarital sexual relations. The differences between the attitudes of adolescents and those of grandparents towards this variable were also significant:. The attitudes of parents and grandparents towards premarital sexual relations were not significantly different. These findings tended to support previous research studies which stated that parents and grandparents were traditionally more conservative in their attitude towards sexuality than were adolescents. Modern adolescents who lived in a society where sex was discussed more openly seemed to feel that they should engage in premarital sexual relations. It seemed the generation gap between adolescents and parents,and to a greater extent between adolescent and grandparent, had increased. Results indicated insignificant differences between the attitudes of adolescents, parents and grandparents towards adolescent delinquent behaviour. All three generations seemed to agree that modern adolescents acquired much information from their friends. In a modern rapidly changing South African society, traditional authority seemed to have lost most of its impact on the adolescent's bahaviour. Adolescents seemed to believe that parents had failed to change the socio¬political situation hence they had to take the lead. Parents themselves seemed to be puzzled and confused by the rapidly changing, contemporary, technocratic and violently divided society. Significant differences between the adolescent and parent attitudes and between adolescent and grandparent attitudes towards adolescent use of alcoholic beverages were indicated in this study. The insignificant differences between the attitudes of parents and grandparents towards this variable seemed to indicate that parents and grandparents were against adolescent use of alcoholic beverages. On the other hand, adolescents seemed to feel that they should indulge in drinking alcoholic beverages. In the modern South African society, adolescents saw liquor advertised on television and in literature and thus indulged in drinking alcoholic beverages. It was recommended that whatever the desired politico-social change, both parents and adolescents could be made aware that communication and dialogue between them are a sine-qua-non towards the solution and alleviation of their problems. Parents may be motivated to discuss with adolescents their views and feelings about premarital sexual relations and vice versa. The dialogue could be encouraged in public meetings, seminars, on television and radio. Parents could be encouraged to listen to the views of adolescents in order to guide them. Parents may be made to accept the fact that adolescents live during a time and in a society where they may express both their positive and negative opinions regarding certain issues. Community programmes such as therapeutic groups, youth clubs and recreation clubs could provide adolescents with an opportunity of expressing their views, developing their social skills and improving relationships with others. Information concerning problems that are associated with the use of alcoholic beverages could be made available to adolescents during the discussions and advertisements. The aim could be to assist adolescents to cope with problems and to feel happy without indulging in drinking alcoholic beverages.
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    A psychological analysis of helping human relations in an African Independent Church
    (1994) Nyembe, Boy Timothy; Edwards, S.D.; Makunga, N.V.
    The need for a psychology that addresses problems of all racial groups in South Africa has long been documented. Studies have indicated that modern health care services are inadequate and not accessible to all population groups in this country. The needs and problems in South Africa are too complicated to be treated by Western therapies alone. What seem to have been a viable alter¬native are the services rendered to Blacks by traditional doctors, diviners, faith healers and the African Independent Churches. The aim of this study was an exploratory psychological investigation into the nature of helping human relations in an African Independent Church. A sample of 18 respondents was randomly selected from members of the St. John's Apostolic Faith Mission Church, Harrismith. The phenomenological research methodology was used to elicit descriptions from the subjects regarding their experiences and meaning of being members of that particular church. The descriptions of the respondents were tape recorded, transcribed and dissected into natural meaning units which were blocked into themes. The natural meaning units and the themes of each subject were synthesised into a general concise description in psychological language. This descriptive statement, which was referred to as situated structure, disclosed the unique and es¬sential meaning the phenomenon had for each individual. Those themes that were expressed and shared by the majority of the sub¬jects were grouped into a general structure of six categories, namely, spiritual helping, prayer healing, holy water, cohesive-ness, existential assistance and catharsis. The researcher validated the descriptions by going back to respondents and asking them whether his synthesis accurately revealed their experiences. Each respondent commented on the general structure by stating on a subjective eleven point scale (0-10) the degree to which the general structure reflected his/her experiences. The respondents' ratings indicated that the general structure was a fairly accurate reflection of their experiences as members of this particular church. There was sig¬nificant agreement among the eighteen respondents in ranking the six categories. This means that there was significant agreement¬about what the subj ects generally experienced as members of the St. John's Apostolic Faith Mission Church and about their ex¬periences . In view of literature review of other African Independent Churches the researcher could generalize that human helping rela¬tions in the African Independent Churches exist essentially in the aforementioned six main forms. It was recommended that similar research be conducted in other African Independent Churches such as the ZCC, Church of Nazarites and the Mahon Mission. The practices of the AIC's could be in¬cluded in the curricula of the training of mental health care workers, clients could benefit from cross referrals between West¬ern practitioners and the healers of the African Independent Churches.