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Coping with change during the Covid-19 pandemic: South African caregivers with preschoolers’ experiences of changes in family routines
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613962416160768 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Botha, Michael |
| author2 | Kagee, Ashraf |
| author_browse | Botha, Michael Kagee, Ashraf |
| author_facet | Kagee, Ashraf Botha, Michael |
| author_sort | Botha, Michael |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131979 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:27.789Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131979 Coping with change during the Covid-19 pandemic: South African caregivers with preschoolers’ experiences of changes in family routines Botha, Michael Kagee, Ashraf Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. COVID-19 (Disease) -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects Caregivers -- South Africa -- Psychology Family life -- South Africa Adjustment (Psychology) UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Since the emergence of the Covid-19 virus in 2020, life for all has been irrevocably altered. As a health-protecting measure, new regulations and restrictions were enforced, which affected central aspects to caregivers’ pre-pandemic lives, such as the closure of preschool facilities, the transition to remote working, and the cessation of in-person socialisation. These implications presented caregivers with new barriers and stressors, forcing caregivers to navigate a newly uncertain and challenging time. Although current literature has corroborated the relative change caregivers experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, currently there is a lack of enquiry into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on caregivers in the South African context. Accordingly, this study aims to explore South African caregivers with preschoolers’ experiences of coping with changes to their daily and family routines during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Fifteen caregivers with preschoolers were recruited through purposive sampling between October 2022 and May 2023 to participate in the current study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted both face-to-face and through Microsoft Teams to elucidate the participants’ experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic. These interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed with the use of computer-assisted software, ATLAS.ti. Findings: Overall, five themes, with numerous subthemes, emerged, which effectively encompassed the participants’ experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic. The themes are as follows: (1) Change to Daily Life: The Stress of Covid-19 Restrictions, (2) Caregivers’ Adaptation to Change during the Covid-19 Pandemic, (3) Caregiver Coping during the Covid-19 Pandemic, (4) Outcome of the Covid-19 Pandemic: Positive Developments, and (5) Outcome of the Covid-19 Pandemic: Negative Developments. The findings are presented in a stepwise structure, first uncovering the relative changes experienced and sources of stress, followed by the ways in which caregivers coped and adapted to these forced disruptions and lastly both the negative and positive implications of the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, based on the writings of Lazarus and Folkman, the study produced a conceptual model of caregivers experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Discussion: The participants experienced a great deal of change due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its implemented restrictions, with many of these changes inducing new sources of stress. Accordingly, the participants found unique ways to cope and adapt to these forced changes, noting crucial aspects that either aided or hindered their coping ability. Although negative outcomes were associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly compromised development in their children, it appeared that the socio-economic privilege of the participants largely buffered them from more severe consequences of the pandemic. Nevertheless, despite these new sources of stress, participants exhibited clear signs of resiliency and found positives in inherently challenging and uncertain times. Understanding and documenting the experiences of how caregivers overcame adversity is crucial in uncovering the long-lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study adds valuable contributions to the global knowledge-base of the Covid-19 pandemic, which provides the necessary insight to aid professionals and policymakers in mitigating the negative impacts of future scenarios similar to the Covid-19 pandemic. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding: Sedert die opkoms van die Covid-19-virus in 2020, is lewe vir almal onherroeplik verander. As ’n gesondheids-beskermende maatreël is nuwe regulasies en beperkings afgedwing, wat sentrale aspekte tot versorgers se pre-pandemie lewens beïnvloed het, onder andere, die sluiting van voorskoolse fasiliteite, die oorgang na afstandwerk, en die staking van in-persoon sosialisering. Hierdie implikasies het vir versorgers nuwe hindernisse en stressors gebied, wat hulle gedwing het om ’n nuwe onsekere en uitdagende tyd deur te werk. Alhoewel huidige literatuur die relatiewe verandering wat ouers en versorgers tydens die Covid-19-pandemie ervaar het, bevestig, is daar tans ’n gebrek aan ondersoek-instelling na die impak van die Covid-19-pandemie op versorgers met voorskoolse kinders binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Gevolglik het hierdie studie ten doel om die ervarings van Suid-Afrikaanse versorgers met voorskoolse kinders te ondersoek in die hantering van veranderinge aan hul daaglikse en gesinsroetines tydens die Covid-19-pandemie. Metodes: Vyftien versorgers met voorskoolse kinders is deur doelgerigte steekproefneming tussen Oktober 2022 en Mei 2023 gewerf om aan hierdie studie deel te neem. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is in-persoon en deur Microsoft Teams gevoer om die deelnemers se ervarings van die Covid-19-pandemie toe te lig. Hierdie onderhoude is opgeneem, getranskribeer en tematies geanaliseer met die rekenaargesteunde sagteware, ATLAS.ti. Bevindinge: Na afloop van die analiseringsproses, het vyf temas, met talle subtemas, na vore gekom, wat die deelnemers se Covid-19-pandemie ervarings effektief insluit. Die temas is soos volg: (1) Verandering in Daaglikse lewe: Die Stres van Covid-19-beperkings, (2) Versorgers se Aanpassing by Verandering tydens die Covid-19-pandemie, (3) Versorger-hantering tydens die Covid-19- pandemie,(4) Uitkoms van die Covid-19-pandemie: Positiewe ontwikkelinge, en (5) Uitkoms van die Covid-19-pandemie: Negatiewe ontwikkelinge. Die bevindinge word in ’n logiese struktuur aangebied, wat eers die relatiewe veranderinge wat ervaar word en bronne van stres ontbloot asook die maniere waarop versorgers hierdie gedwonge ontwrigtings hanteer en aangepas het. Die https://scholar.sun.ac.za xii uitkoms van hierdie veranderinge word met beide die positiewe en negatiewe implikasies aangebied. Ten slotte, gebaseer op geskrifte van Lazarus en Folkman, het hierdie studie ’n konseptuele model van versorgers met voorskoolse kinders se ervarings van die Covid-19-pandemie opgelewer. Bespreking: Soos deur die resultate aangedui, het die deelnemers ’n groot mate van verandering ervaar as gevolg van die Covid-19-pandemie en die geïmplimenteerde beperkings, wat nuwe bronne van stres veroorsaak het. Ten spyte van ontwrigtende ervarings tydens die pandemie, het die deelnemers unieke maniere gevind om hierdie gedwonge veranderinge te hanteer en aan te pas, en het belangrike aspekte opgemerk wat hul hanteringsvermoë óf aangehelp het óf belemmer het. Alhoewel negatiewe uitkomste met die Covid-19-pandemie geassosieer is, veral geaffekteerde ontwikkeling by hul kinders, het dit geblyk dat die sosio-ekonomiese voorreg van die deelnemers hulle grootliks beskerm het teen ernstiger gevolge van die pandemie. Nietemin, ten spyte van die nuut-ervare stressors van die pandemie, het deelnemers duidelike tekens van veerkragtigheid getoon en positiewe punte gevind in inherent uitdagende en onsekere tye. Om die ervarings van hoe versorgers teëspoed oorkom het te verstaan en te dokumenteer, is dit noodsaaklik om die langdurige impak van die Covid-19-pandemie te ontbloot. Hierdie studie heg ’n waardevolle bydrae tot die globale kennisbasis van die Covid-19-pandemie, en dit verskaf die nodige inligting om professionele persone en beleidmakers te help om die negatiewe impak van toekomstige scenario's soortgelyk aan die Covid-19-pandemie te versag. Masters 2025-05-05T12:23:32Z 2025-05-05T12:23:32Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131979 Stellenbosch University xiv, 172 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | COVID-19 (Disease) -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects Caregivers -- South Africa -- Psychology Family life -- South Africa Adjustment (Psychology) UCTD Botha, Michael Coping with change during the Covid-19 pandemic: South African caregivers with preschoolers’ experiences of changes in family routines |
| title | Coping with change during the Covid-19 pandemic: South African caregivers with preschoolers’ experiences of changes in family routines |
| title_full | Coping with change during the Covid-19 pandemic: South African caregivers with preschoolers’ experiences of changes in family routines |
| title_fullStr | Coping with change during the Covid-19 pandemic: South African caregivers with preschoolers’ experiences of changes in family routines |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coping with change during the Covid-19 pandemic: South African caregivers with preschoolers’ experiences of changes in family routines |
| title_short | Coping with change during the Covid-19 pandemic: South African caregivers with preschoolers’ experiences of changes in family routines |
| title_sort | coping with change during the covid 19 pandemic south african caregivers with preschoolers experiences of changes in family routines |
| topic | COVID-19 (Disease) -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects Caregivers -- South Africa -- Psychology Family life -- South Africa Adjustment (Psychology) UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131979 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bothamichael copingwithchangeduringthecovid19pandemicsouthafricancaregiverswithpreschoolersexperiencesofchangesinfamilyroutines |