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Resilience in Female Adolescents Raised by Single Mothers
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613829711527936 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Adriaanse, Janique Roche |
| author2 | Kafaar, Zuhayr |
| author_browse | Adriaanse, Janique Roche Kafaar, Zuhayr |
| author_facet | Kafaar, Zuhayr Adriaanse, Janique Roche |
| author_sort | Adriaanse, Janique Roche |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135541 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:21.587Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135541 Resilience in Female Adolescents Raised by Single Mothers Adriaanse, Janique Roche Kafaar, Zuhayr Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Adriaanse, J. R. 2026. Resilience in Female Adolescents Raised by Single Mothers. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/3c30781f-8310-4052-aaba-287aa7133b5b Introduction: Within the South African context, there has been a continuous incline in single parenthood households, specifically female-headed households. Female adolescents are at greater risk for adversities compared to males, regardless of social standing. Resilience in female adolescents raised by single mothers is a significant contributor to how female adolescents manage adversity and eventually adapt despite challenges. Thus, understanding the factors that influence resilience in female adolescents raised by single mothers is important, as resilience is a buffer that mediates the impact of adversity. Female adolescents face various forms of adversity, which adds to the vulnerability of this group. My study prioritises resilience in female adolescents raised by single mothers, specifically understanding the risk and protective factors. The main aims of my study are to understand how my participants conceptualise resilience, and the key protective and risk factors that promote or hinder the development of their resilience. Methods: My study utilised an exploratory qualitative research design, and participants were recruited using critical case and snowball sampling. The study sample consisted of twenty-five participants recruited from the Drakenstein Municipal Area, Western Cape, South Africa. Focus groups were conducted with three groups namely single mothers of daughters, daughters raised by single mothers, and social workers and or community workers, however, due to limited data obtained from the daughters’ focus group, additional semi-structured interviews were conducted to supplement the data. All data collection was done in person by myself, at a local school, or a private workspace, in Paarl. These focus groups, and semi-structured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using Atlas.ti, a computer-assisted software. Lastly, my findings were interpreted using the Richardson Resiliency Model, and Resiliency Theory by Fergus and Zimmerman (2005). Findings: Thematic data analysis revealed five themes and thirteen sub-themes. The main themes were (1) Navigating Resilience, (2) Strengths in Context, (3) Key Protective Factors amidst Adversity, (4) Key Risk Factors Amidst Adversity and lastly (5) Yearning, Seeking and Longing. My findings indicate that conceptualisations of resilience are facilitated by an individual’s lived experience and the community they are surrounded by. Additionally, most participants hallmarked that a key protective factor promoting resilience was support, specifically the reliability of consistent support networks whereas other protective factors relate to the inherent capabilities of individuals. Despite this, hinderances to resilience were externally rooted, and rested on the influence of society and familial structures on adolescent development. Finally, female adolescents highlighted a longing for something deeper, an endearment they longed and sought after but never managed to acquire. Conclusion: The findings of this study addressed resilience in female adolescents raised by single mothers. Therefore, it can potentially inform the development of socially appropriate interventions and programmes that can foster the development of resilience in female adolescents. Lastly, my study highlighted the need for the development of gendered studies which could in turn inform targeted interventions. Future research should thus focus on how to create support structures within the communities and provide adolescents with resources that promote their resilience. Masters 2026-04-01T08:42:07Z 2026-04-01T08:42:07Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135541 en Stellenbosch University 254 pages : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Adriaanse, Janique Roche Resilience in Female Adolescents Raised by Single Mothers |
| title | Resilience in Female Adolescents Raised by Single Mothers |
| title_full | Resilience in Female Adolescents Raised by Single Mothers |
| title_fullStr | Resilience in Female Adolescents Raised by Single Mothers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Resilience in Female Adolescents Raised by Single Mothers |
| title_short | Resilience in Female Adolescents Raised by Single Mothers |
| title_sort | resilience in female adolescents raised by single mothers |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135541 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adriaansejaniqueroche resilienceinfemaleadolescentsraisedbysinglemothers |