Abstract
This study examines the life of Tlali (a pseudonym), an 18-year old African Sotho from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, utilizing psychobiography as research methodology for the advocacy of abused and neglected youth. The African self as a synoptic aggregate has eight complementary dimensions: embodied; generative; communal; narratological; melioristic; structural; liminal; and spiritual (Nwoye in Dialect Anthropol 30:119–146, 2006). These blend together like an invisible mesh, resulting in a cohesive holistic fabric of the self. Tlali described his transformation, after only eight months at a state youth care and education center (YCEC) on the violent Cape Flats in Cape Town, as a sudden “boom”. This paper sets out to examine, from an African psychological perspective, the nature of institutional trauma healing in communities suffering from the effects of historical injustices such as colonialism, slavery, apartheid and social inequalities. Utilising his thank-you letter to the centre and a personal interview as data, psychobiography offered an in-depth understanding of his life, with African perspectives providing an indigenous application of psychological personality theories. The findings suggest that Tlali’s self-belief emerged at a critical stage of adolescent development as a result of the loving care and respect he received at YCEC. The synoptic mapping of the African self offers effective dimensions in psychobiographical understanding of trauma healing for youth in contexts of violence and gangsterism. Holistic, indigenous approaches should be considered in psychological interpretations of life histories to broaden understanding of trauma healing and transformation. Psychobiography can be an effective research methodology for maltreated youth.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Badroodien, A. (2001). A history of the Ottery school of industries in Cape Town: Issues of race, welfare and social order in the period 1937 to 1968. Doctoral dissertation, University of the Western Cape.
Bosman-Sadie, H., & Corrie, L. (2010). A practical approach to the Children’s Act. Cape Town: LexisNexis.
Chakkarath, P. (2012). The role of indigenous psychologies in the building of basic cultural psychology. In J. Vaisiner (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of culture and psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Collins, F. (2017, August 23). Millions in SA are starving. Retrieved from http://www.timeslive.co.za.
Cronbach, L. J. (1957). The two disciplines of scientific psychology. American Psychologist, 12, 671–684.
Dondolo, L. (2005). Intangible heritage: The production of indigenous knowledge in various aspects of social life. Indilinga African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, 4(1), 110–126.
Eaton, L. A., Cain, D. N., Pitpitan, E. V., Carey, K. B., Mehlomakulu, V., Simbayi, L. C., … Kalichman, S. C. (2014). Exploring the relationships among food insecurity, alcohol use, and sexual risk taking among men and women living in South African townships. Journal of Primary Prevention, 30(4), 255–265.
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: Norton.
Fouché, P. J. P. (2015). The ‘coming of age’ for Southern African psychobiography. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 25(5), 375–378.
Franco, F. (2017, December 20). Dissociative identity and C-PTSD: Pop culture’s impact on awareness. Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org.
Frankl, V. E. (1984). Man’s search for meaning. New York: Washington Square Press.
Gladys, L. A. (1961). Essays in individual psychology. Contemporary applications of Alfred Adler’s theories. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 11(4), 481–482. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.1961.11508218.
International Dictionary of Psychoanalysis. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com.
Johnson, S. (2019). From disempowerment to self-belief: A centre of hope for vulnerable youth in Cape Town. In M. Diaz, & B. Shepard (Eds.), Narrating practice with children and adolescents. New York: Columbia University Press.
Johnson, S. (in press). Lessons in care: Triumph over trauma and tribulation in a state centre for maltreated youth in South Africa. Cape Town: Amazon.
Johnson, S. M. (in review). Finding safety in trauma recovery at a South African state care centre for abused and neglected youth. In C. Walker, S. Zlotowitz, & A. Zoli (Eds.), New ideas for new times: A handbook of innovative community and clinical psychologies. Brighton, UK: University of Brighton.
Johnson, S. M. (2010). Transpersonal practices as prevention intervention for burnout amongst HIV/Aids co-ordinator teachers. Unpublished master’s thesis, Stellenbosch University.
Johnson, S. M. (2011). Teacher wellness. In L. Benjamin (Ed.), More than a drop in the ocean. Cape Town: Community Action towards a Safer Environment (CASE).
Johnson, S. M. (2013). Impact of stress and burnout interventions for educators in high-risk secondary schools. Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch University.
Johnson, S. M. (2015). Reducing teacher stress and burnout in high-risk secondary schools with transactional analysis. International Journal of Transactional Analysis Research, 6(1), 70–85.
Johnson, S. M., & Naidoo, A. V. (2013). Transpersonal practices as prevention intervention for burnout among HIV/Aids coordinator teachers. SA Journal of Psychology, 43, 59–70.
Johnson, S. M., & Naidoo, A. V. (2016). A psychoeducational approach for prevention of burnout among teachers dealing with HIV/AIDS in SA. AidsCare. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2016.1201193.
Johnson, S. M. & Naidoo, A. V. (2017) Can evolutionary insights into the brain’s response to threat suggest different interventions for perceived stress and burnout for teachers in high-risk schools? SA Journal of Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0081246316675588.
Mbuyiselo, D., & Nyembezi, A. (2015). Challenges facing traditional male circumcision in the Eastern Cape. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council.
McAdams, D. P. (1993). The stories we live by. New York: Morrow.
Mckinley, N. M. (1995). Women and objectified body consciousness: A feminist psychological analysis. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 56(5-B), 2901.
McNamee, S. (2016). The social study of childhood. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Mokone, J. M. (2006). Challenges experienced by grandparents raising grandchildren: An exploratory study. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 42(2), 187–200.
Nwoye, A. (2006). Remapping the fabric of the African self: A synoptic theory. Dialectical Anthropology, 30, 119–146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10624-005-5058-x.
Peterson, J. (2017). Documentary: Truth in the time of chaos. Retrieved from http://www.rebelwisdom.co.uk.
Roberts, B. (2002). Biographical research. Philadelphia: Open University Press.
Rogers, C. R. (1980). A way of being. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Runyan, W. M. (1988). Psychology and historical interpretation. New York: Oxford University Press.
SA History Online. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.sahistory.org.za.
SA Institute of Race Relations. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ewn.co.za.
Schultz, W. T. (2005). Handbook of psychobiography. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Sekhonyane, M., & Louw, A. (2000). Violent justice: Vigilantism and the State’s response. Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies.
Slavery at the Cape. (2017). The work of slaves. Retrieved from http://www.iziko.org.za.
Stats SA Report. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.timeslive.co.za.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Johnson, S. (2019). Psychobiography as an Effective Research Methodology for the Advocacy of Abused and Neglected Youth in South Africa. In: Mayer, CH., Kovary, Z. (eds) New Trends in Psychobiography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16953-4_26
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16953-4_26
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-16952-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-16953-4
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)