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Children’s social context in Khayelitsha: Perspectives of children, adolescents, parents, and teachers
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867614038824845312 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Breen, Alison Tuzette |
| author2 | Tomlinson, Mark |
| author_browse | Breen, Alison Tuzette Tomlinson, Mark |
| author_facet | Tomlinson, Mark Breen, Alison Tuzette |
| author_sort | Breen, Alison Tuzette |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135641 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:41.741Z |
| 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:10019.1/135641 Children’s social context in Khayelitsha: Perspectives of children, adolescents, parents, and teachers Breen, Alison Tuzette Tomlinson, Mark Daniels, Karen Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Breen, A. T. 2026. Children’s social context in Khayelitsha: Perspectives of children, adolescents, parents, and teachers. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/c25ffbc9-1426-4961-8faf-de14296f36aa The bulk of knowledge about child development derives from studies conducted in high-income countries and is commonly framed through adult perspectives. Knowledge about children’s everyday lives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains limited, and dominant narratives often position these childhoods primarily through deficit-based or ‘crisis’ framings. There is a need to move beyond such narratives by attending to children’s own perspectives and to the relational and structural contexts in which their lives unfold. Drawing on the new sociology of childhood and integrated ecological frameworks, this study explores how children actively navigate their social environments, interpret their relationships, and make meaning of their daily lives in a South African township context. Qualitative face-to-face semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 76 participants between 2010 and 2012 with children, adolescents, caregivers, and teachers. The findings are presented across three manuscripts, each addressing a distinct but interconnected aspect of children’s social contexts. Across the studies, four overarching themes emerged: (1) the pervasiveness of violence across developmental stages, (2) the ambivalent role of adult support, (3) the importance of children’s social networks beyond primary caregivers, and (4) the ways in which social contexts shape children’s aspirations. The study highlights the value of examining children’s experiences alongside adult perspectives to develop a more nuanced understanding of childhood in contexts of adversity. The findings point to the need for integrated, multi-level interventions that are responsive to children’s lived realities and relational worlds. Doctoral 2026-04-07T06:59:58Z 2026-04-07T06:59:58Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135641 en Stellenbosch University 285 pages : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Breen, Alison Tuzette Children’s social context in Khayelitsha: Perspectives of children, adolescents, parents, and teachers |
| title | Children’s social context in Khayelitsha: Perspectives of children, adolescents, parents, and teachers |
| title_full | Children’s social context in Khayelitsha: Perspectives of children, adolescents, parents, and teachers |
| title_fullStr | Children’s social context in Khayelitsha: Perspectives of children, adolescents, parents, and teachers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Children’s social context in Khayelitsha: Perspectives of children, adolescents, parents, and teachers |
| title_short | Children’s social context in Khayelitsha: Perspectives of children, adolescents, parents, and teachers |
| title_sort | children s social context in khayelitsha perspectives of children adolescents parents and teachers |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135641 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT breenalisontuzette childrenssocialcontextinkhayelitshaperspectivesofchildrenadolescentsparentsandteachers |