Browsing by Author "Du Plessis, Jonelle."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Operationalising the notion of sufficient maturity to provide informed consent when minors present for treatment.
(2011) Du Plessis, Jonelle.; Wassenaar, Douglas Richard.
Laws in South Africa, such as the Children’s Amendment Act 41 of 2007(Government Gazette, Act 38 of 2005), is developed with good intentions of promoting prevention and intervention on various health-related issues. Laws also dictate, based on developmental and evolving capabilities, chronological ages at which children and adolescents may access certain healthcare services without parental consent, whilst limiting them in other areas such as decision-making for research participation. Of interest to this study is how specialists in health care, conceptualise, understand and apply “sufficient maturity” in their encounters with minors presenting for treatment, in order to identify key concepts of sufficient maturity. From the interviews conducted, themes were identified that were relevant to the construct of “sufficient maturity.”Results indicated that there were two primary perspectives participants used to assess “sufficient maturity” when minors presented for treatment.Health care practitioners, depending on the health care context, assess minors’ sufficient maturity in relation to, either a competency based or a deficiency model.
Tattooed narratives : a psychoanalytic perspective.
(2013) Du Plessis, Jonelle.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Literature suggests that people do not only acquire tattoos for explicit motivations such as fashion accessories or rebellion, but also because they express implicit meanings, needs and motives. The aim of this study was to: a) use a psychoanalytically-informed framework to understand the symbolic and representational process of the tattooed narrative, b) explore what core psychodynamic factors appear salient in the subjects’ experiences and history. A case study design was adopted, focussing on the narratives of the subjects in relation to their tattoo(s). Narratives were elicited using psychoanalytic research interviewing techniques (PRI). Six subjects were interviewed (4 females, 2 males aged between 23-42) who had existing permanent tattoos. Results of this study indicated that tattoos served an adaptive function and act as transitional objects to facilitate transformative relationships. This was particularly evident in the process of mourning and spirituality. Further, the concreteness and permanency of the tattoos assisted the subjects in reducing anxiety during the period of transition. Results suggested that tattoos may also serve a defensive function when associated with themes of destruction. A general motivation for ‘asserting’ an insecure part of the self by making it permanent was also identified.