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This paper explores the root causes of student unrest in South African universities and evaluates the institutional responses to these protests, otherwise regarded as social unrest. The study is lensed through social movement theory and institutional theory. The study adopted transformative paradigm under qualitative approach and participatory research design to analyze the experiences of universities in South Africa that have experienced significant social unrest in recent years. Focus group discussion was conducted with university management staff, student activists, and security officers of the selected universities. The findings showed that lack of access, socio-economic inequalities, ineffective communication, and open engagement are the primary causes of social unrest. In contrast, providing equitable access, economic liberation, effective communication, and open engagement is the possible institutional response that alleviates social unrest on university campuses. Hence, promoting equitable access and economic liberation coupled with effective communication and open engagement among stakeholders was recommended. Plain Language Summary: Causes and Institutional Responses of Social Unrest. This paper investigates why South African university students protest and how the institutions respond. Using social movement and institutional theories, the study talks to university managers, student activists, and security officers in universities with recent protests. The key issues identified are limited access, economic inequalities, poor communication, and exclusion from decision-making. The suggested solution is to focus on fair access, reducing economic disparities, improving communication, and involving everyone in decisions. The researcher recommends promoting equitable access and economic fairness, alongside better communication and inclusive decision-making, as a way to address and prevent social unrest on university campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic on society raised the question of how best to gauge society's psychological adaptation to continually evolving global disruptor events, such as Covid-19. This paper aims to illustrate the use of different approaches to monitor society's psychological response to Covid-19, in order to argue for a more comprehensive, multi-model, approach. The results from different approaches are presented in two studies employing measures of mental disorders and mental distress, respectively, using South African samples for demonstration. The first study presents findings from repeat administration of measures of common mental disorders (major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders) across three consecutive years, while the second study presents findings from mood response profiles (measured with the Brunel Mood Scale) collected across five time points during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both studies showed that the Covid-19 pandemic was temporally associated with adverse mental health outcomes across the mental health continuum, and that mental health profiles were associated with both time since onset of Covid-19 and subsequent wave occurrence. Elevated prevalence of common mental disorders, as well as fluctuating patterns of mood response profiles, are discussed against the context of Covid-19. The paper concludes that a multi-modal approach, for instance measuring specific mental disorders as well as more general mental distress, is crucial to comprehensively understand society's psychological adaptation to major disruptor events, and guide health sector responses. The paper serves as a reminder to continue to observe mental health more inclusively to appropriately respond to the psychological needs of communities. Plain Language Summary: Measuring mental health across Covid-19 waves The impact of Covid-19 on mental health raised the question of how can we best measure how society adapts, psychologically, to major events that disrupt life. This article looked at two specific ways to measure and monitor society's psychological response to Covid-19. The first study looked at the prevalence of mental disorders, and the second looked at levels of mental distress. Both studies used South African samples to demonstrate this. The first study presented data from a repeat administration of scales that identify depressive and anxiety disorders, completed across three consecutive years. The second study presented findings from mood response profiles (measured with the Brunel Mood Scale) collected across five time points during the Covid-19 pandemic. The results showed that the pandemic was associated with adverse mental health outcomes—across the mental health continuum—and that mental health profiles were associated with both time since the start of Covid-19 and fluctuated with the subsequent waves across the pandemic time-line. This article demonstrated the importance of using a multi-modal approach to fully understand society's psychological response to major life disruptions. It also acted as reminder to monitor mental health continuously to be able to respond to the psychological needs of communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to show the potential value of using the constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology in the Urban and Regional Planning discipline. This is done by reflecting on the application of the CGT fundamentals defined by Kathy Charmaz, applied in a doctoral thesis in Urban and Regional Planning. The substantive area of research in which the thesis took place was the practical training experience of planners in becoming professionally registered. The thesis collected primary data through interviews with 14 planners who have undergone the process of practical training to record, document, and analyse their experiences as a prerequisite and requirement of professional registration. The use of the CGT methodology provides valuable insight into the registration process of planners in South Africa and encourages doctoral candidates to use CGT methodology with the aim of generating new knowledge and theory in the built environment. This paper recommends that CGT methodology should be encouraged, particularly when contributing to fields that are under-researched, limited, or non-existent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When conducting research, it is fundamentally important to adhere to universal ethical principles with the intent to minimise harm and maximise benefits. This is not always relevant as these principles are based on the Western way of doing things. In Western culture, the focus of ethics is mainly on individualism and this value undermines the essence of ubuntu. However, in the South African context, the individual is always seen in relation to significant others, meaning that relational philosophies need to inform context-specific ethics in these communities. This paper aims to advocate for the utilisation of contextually relevant ethical principles to embrace diverse South African contexts. The paper is based on the author's reflexive practice in conducting research in South Africa's rural areas. The reflection focuses on the researcher's dilemma in implementing universal ethical principles in a rural South African context. The paper highlights congruent ethical approaches in a diverse African context guided by relational ethics which is grounded in ubuntu principles. The approaches ensure that researchers remain ethical by embracing ubuntu principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies from developed western societies have shown that the legitimacy of correctional officers is pivotal to incarcerated offenders' voluntary compliance and deference. However, we are uncertain if such an assertion holds for incarcerated offenders in transitional African correctional settings, such as South Africa. From a cross-sectional survey of participants from selected correctional centers in South Africa (Male = 89.6%; African = 85.1%; M age = 25 years, SD = 0.81), this paper explores incarcerated offenders' perception of the legitimacy of correctional officers. Findings indicate that procedural justice, the effectiveness of the correctional officers, gender, and offender citizenship predicted the perception of correctional officers' legitimacy. The implications of these findings for the effective management of custodial institutions are discussed. Plain Language Summary: Incarcerated Offenders' account on correctional officers' legitimacy in South Africa This article aimed to explore the views of incarcerated offenders about the legitimacy of correctional officers in South African correctional centers. To conduct this research, we adopted a survey approach and selected participants from six correctional centers that covers three provinces of South Africa (Gauteng, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal). Our results show that procedural justice experience of the offenders predicted their perceived legitimacy of correctional officers, more so than other factors. The implications of findings for the effective management of correctional centers in South Africa are explicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When conducting research, it is fundamentally important to adhere to universal ethical principles with the intent to minimise harm and maximise benefits. This is not always relevant as these principles are based on the Western way of doing things. In Western culture, the focus of ethics is mainly on individualism and this value undermines the essence of ubuntu. However, in the South African context, the individual is always seen in relation to significant others, meaning that relational philosophies need to inform context-specific ethics in these communities. This paper aims to advocate for the utilisation of contextually relevant ethical principles to embrace diverse South African contexts. The paper is based on the author's reflexive practice in conducting research in South Africa's rural areas. The reflection focuses on the researcher's dilemma in implementing universal ethical principles in a rural South African context. The paper highlights congruent ethical approaches in a diverse African context guided by relational ethics which is grounded in ubuntu principles. The approaches ensure that researchers remain ethical by embracing ubuntu principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giving a voice to youth and promoting their health and well-being is essential for successful future communities. However, millions of youth, particularly in low-to middle-income countries, are misunderstood, lack a voice, and face many challenges, which maintains their disengagement. As approaches for youth engagement evolve, this paper presents an innovative, qualitative methodology to engage vulnerable youth (NEETs - acronym for youth who are Not in Education, Employment or Training) in identifying and ranking their needs and giving them a voice to contribute to prevention programming. Drawing on principles of empowerment theory, the paper expands on the popular youth-adult partnerships' literature by injecting a new engagement approach that focuses on (i) using a literature-based community needs assessment, (ii) engaging vulnerable youth in small group discussion to rank their needs, (iii) comparing rankings between groups, (iv) creating spaces for youth to include other pressing issues not identified in the literature, and (iv) comparing rankings across surrounding communities. The ideas presented demonstrate that the Needs Ranking activity, as an engagement and data collection tool, may be particularly relevant in gathering viewpoints and opinions of underserved youth. These youth are traditionally not well represented through the more conventional and common methods currently employed in research and community development such as local government community development board meetings and needs assessments, and research interviews. The paper also creates awareness around the Needs Ranking activity as a viable and verifiable qualitative approach in youth engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to show the potential value of using the constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology in the Urban and Regional Planning discipline. This is done by reflecting on the application of the CGT fundamentals defined by Kathy Charmaz, applied in a doctoral thesis in Urban and Regional Planning. The substantive area of research in which the thesis took place was the practical training experience of planners in becoming professionally registered. The thesis collected primary data through interviews with 14 planners who have undergone the process of practical training to record, document, and analyse their experiences as a prerequisite and requirement of professional registration. The use of the CGT methodology provides valuable insight into the registration process of planners in South Africa and encourages doctoral candidates to use CGT methodology with the aim of generating new knowledge and theory in the built environment. This paper recommends that CGT methodology should be encouraged, particularly when contributing to fields that are under-researched, limited, or nonexistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 ushered in public health guidelines restricting face-to-face contact and movement, and encouraging social distancing, all of which had implications for conducting field-based research during the pandemic. For qualitative researchers, this meant adapting conventional face-to-face methods and resorting to virtual variations of the same in adherence to stipulated COVID-19 health protocols. Virtual qualitative research introduced new concerns and logistical challenges. This paper presents critical reflections on experiences of conducting qualitative research during the pandemic, from the perspectives of a cohort of postgraduate fellows. A critical reflection framework was utilised to explore fellows experiences and meanings ascribed to their experiences. The research findings illustrate three overarching processes which, in turn, shaped ways of thinking, doing and being. First, explicating tacit assumptions about their anticipated research journeys and interrogating these. Second, shifts in power differentials demonstrated by role reversal between researchers and participants, and between fellows and supervisors as they re-negotiated their positionalities in virtual research spaces. Third, context specific sense-making, in which - narrative accounts support the notion of knowledge as a social construct. Our findings have important implications for qualitative research practice. Our study documents methodological nuances and social implications of conducting qualitative research during COVID-19 and in a-South African context. In addition, our study exemplifies the use of critical reflection in qualitative research practice in the specific context of postgraduate academic research. Further, our study illustrates how the use of technology shapes qualitative research protocol development, data collection and analysis phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 ushered in public health guidelines restricting face-to-face contact and movement, and encouraging social distancing, all of which had implications for conducting field-based research during the pandemic. For qualitative researchers, this meant adapting conventional face-to-face methods and resorting to virtual variations of the same in adherence to stipulated COVID-19 health protocols. Virtual qualitative research introduced new concerns and logistical challenges. This paper presents critical reflections on experiences of conducting qualitative research during the pandemic, from the perspectives of a cohort of postgraduate fellows. A critical reflection framework was utilised to explore fellows experiences and meanings ascribed to their experiences. The research findings illustrate three overarching processes which, in turn, shaped ways of thinking, doing and being. First, explicating tacit assumptions about their anticipated research journeys and interrogating these. Second, shifts in power differentials demonstrated by role reversal between researchers and participants, and between fellows and supervisors as they re-negotiated their positionalities in virtual research spaces. Third, context specific sense-making, in which - narrative accounts support the notion of knowledge as a social construct. Our findings have important implications for qualitative research practice. Our study documents methodological nuances and social implications of conducting qualitative research during COVID-19 and in a-South African context. In addition, our study exemplifies the use of critical reflection in qualitative research practice in the specific context of postgraduate academic research. Further, our study illustrates how the use of technology shapes qualitative research protocol development, data collection and analysis phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population mobility makes patient-tracking and care linkage in the South African Development Community (SADC) challenging. Case-based surveillance (CBS) through individual-level clinical data linked with a unique patient-identifier (UPI) is recommended. We conducted a mixed-methods landscape analysis of UPI and CBS implementation within selected SADC countries, this included: (1) SADC UPI implementation literature review; (2) assessment of UPI and CBS implementation for high HIV-prevalence SADC countries; (3) UPI implementation case-study in selected South African primary healthcare (PHC) facilities. Research into CBS and UPI implementation for the SADC region is lacking. Existing patient-identification methods often fail and limit patient-tracking. Paper-based records and poor integration between health-information systems further restrict patient-tracking. Most countries were in the early-middle stages of CBS and faced UPI challenges. Our South African case-study found that the UPI often goes uncaptured. Difficulties tracking patients across prevention and care cascades will continue until a functional and reliable UPI is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents WhatsApp as a means of data collection among vulnerable populations, reporting on a study conducted in South Africa and Zimbabwe, to determine the terminology used for and among different genders and sexually diverse individuals. 19 LGBTIQ+ individuals, recruited through a modified snowballing technique, participated in the study. Using WhatsApp text-based information, the interview questions and information regarding the study and ethics-related information were forwarded from one participant to another. The same approach was used for data-collection purposes, where responses (either voice notes or written texts) were forwarded until they reached the initial two participants and/or the principal investigator. Data were analysed using Collazi's steps for data analysis. As the study focus was on the data collection technique, the paper highlights the ethical implications related to using WhatsApp as a data collecting tool. The study also indicates the advantages and disadvantages of using this platform and further emphasises that voice note WhatsApp messages yielded higher-quality and more in-depth responses than text messages. The limitations of using WhatsApp, and ways of enhancing its use as a means of data collection among vulnerable populations, are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]