An Afrocentric model of understanding substance abuse among high school learners in King Cetshwayo District.
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Date
2019
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
This study explored substance abuse among high school learners in King Cetshwayo district. The main concern, on which this study was based, was on the rise in substance abuse by high school learners and the risk behaviours associated with it in spite of all endeavours being made against substance abuse by various non-governmental organisations and the government. Owing to the fact that all these endeavours did not seem to show expected results, the researcher felt that there was a need to look at substance abuse from an Afrocentric perspective.
This study was motivated among others, by Afrocentric theory of Asante which emphasises the African identity from the perspective of African people as centred, located, oriented, and grounded and stresses the dire need for African people to be re-located historically, economically, socially, politically, educationally and philosophically. It was again also based on Bowen family systems theory, which is about the emotional functioning of the human species.
This study adopted a mixed method approach making use of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Questionnaires were utilised for quantitative data collection and interviews were utilised to gather qualitative data from primary respondents (learners), parents and educators.
The findings of the study revealed that the main substances of abuse by learners in King Cetshwayo district were cigarettes at 83%; alcohol at 64% and dagga at 27%. It was found that 77% of the learners were found to be influenced by friends or peers to abuse substances. The findings also revealed that learners were involved in substance abuse because of stress caused by parent-child relationships and stigmatisation both by parents and educators who failed to support them. It was also revealed that the family structure plays a role in substance abuse since 30% of the learners stay with their mothers only. The lack of role models in the community was one of the causes for learners’ abuse of substances.
It was recommended that parent-child relationships be strengthened and that parents should teach their children about substance abuse and be role models to their children.
Parents should again educate their children about African values and morals before they commence with schooling. Educators should also be skilled on how to reverse moral regeneration by focussing on Afrocentric norms and values to be emulated by learners. An Afrocentric model of understanding substance abuse should be adopted. This model is based on the idea that if people who are concerned with the development of a child, can be embedded with African morals and values and be empowered with the necessary skills, they can be in a better position to assist learners to fight against substance abuse.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2019.
Keywords
substance abuse, high school learners