THE SOCIAL SYSTEM AS PART OF PARSONS’ GENERAL ACTION SYSTEM AND ADAPTATION, GOAL-ATTAINMENT, INTEGRATION AND LATENCY

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INTRODUCTION

Bogdan and Biklen (1992:34) postulate that a theoretical perspective is a way of looking at the world, the assumptions people have about what is important, and what makes the world function. They also point out that whether clearly stated or not, all research is guided by some theoretical orientation. According to Brown, Esbensen and Geis (1998:167) the fundamental purpose of a theory is to explain phenomena that can be observed, and, as such, the scientific approach requires that theory be subjected to the test of observation. Good researchers are thus aware of their theoretical base and use it to guide the study as well as the collection of data.

Janoff-Bulman and Frieze’s Victim Experience Model

In Janoff-Bulman and Frieze’s model of the individual’s experience of victimisation, the origin of such experiences, whether direct or indirect, is explained (Janoff-Bulman & Frieze, 1983:1,5). The suffering, according to these authors, is generally the result of physical and/or psychological loss. However, the term can be broadly extended to include victims of poverty, crime or disease.

Belief in personal inulnerability

Each person, to a certain degree entertains the illusion of personal invulnerability and thus individuals that have been victimised can say, « I never thought it could happen to me. » The illusion of invulnerability which is inter alia maintained by the media is accepted unconsciously. In this way, people who only read about murder in newspapers, magazines and books, or hear of it over the radio, or see it on television, are dissociated from the actual event.

THE VIEW AS THE SELF AS POSSITIVE

In general most people see themselves as dignified and decent, and as a result of this they continually attempt to maintain a high level of self-esteem. However, when a violent crime occurs within the family context, it could contribute to victims questioning their self perception critically. In addition, the experiencing of powerlessness, despondency, guilt, anxiety and stress can give rise to a feeling of disequilibrium, which may intensify the victimisation experience. Research shows that for at least one year after the incident

CHAPTER 1: GENERAL ORIENTATION AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Relevance of the topic to society
Development of Commissions focusing on human rights abu
Characteristics of TRCs
THEORETICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDy
Parsons’ Theory
Janoff-Bulman and Frieze’s Victim Experience Model
Stroebe and Stroebe’s Theory of Bereavement
Frankl’s Existential Theory
Maslow’s Motivational Theory
Relevance of the topic to society.
Development of Commissions focusing on human rights abuses
Characteristics of TRCs
THEORETICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDy
Parsons’ Theory
Janoff-Bulman and Frieze’s Victim Experience Model
Stroebe and Stroebe’s Theory of Bereavement
Frankl’s Existential Theory
Maslow’s Motivational Theory
Relevance of the study to research methodology
The inadequacies of official crime data
Confessions of abuses which had never been reported to the police
1.3.6.3 Contribution of a balanced study
1.4 LITERATURE SURVEy
1.5 INTERVIEWS
1.6 OBSERVATIONS
1.7 CONSULTATION WITH EXPERTS
1.8 AIMS OF THE STUDy
1.9 DEFINITION OF KEY CONCEPTS
1.9.1 Grief
1.9.2 Posttraumatic stress disorder
1.9.3 Apartheid
1.9.4 The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
1.9.5 Human rights
1.9.6 Pol itical violence
1.10 DELIMITATION OF THE FIELD OF INVESTIGATION
1.10.1 Geographical area
1.10.2 Race
1.10.3 Gender
1.10.4 Time frame
1.11 CONCLUSION
1.12 PROGRAMME FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE RESEARCH
CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE: A MUl TI DIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THE EXPLANATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE REVELATIONS OF THE TRUTH AND RECON CILIATION COMMISSION ON THE VICTIMS
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.1.1 Janoff-Bulman and Frieze’s VictimExperience Model
2.1.2 Criticismof Janoff-Bulman and Frieze’s Theory.
2.1.3 The significance of Janoff-Bulman and Frieze’s Model
for the present study
2.2 THE BEREAVEMENT THEORY OF STROEBE AND STROEBE
2.2.1 Numbness
2.2.2 Yearning and protest
2.2.3 Despair.
2.2.4 Recovery and restitution
2.2.5 Morbidgrief reactions.
2.2.6 Criticismof Bereavement Theories
2.2.7 The significance of the bereavement theories for this study
2.3 THE SOCIAL SYSTEMAS PART OF PARSONS’ GENERAL ACTION SYSTEM
2.3.1 Introduction
2.3.2 The Concept ofAction
2.3.3 The General ActionSystem
2.3.4 Subsystems of the General ActionSystem
2.3.5 Functionalpre-requisites
2.3.5.1 Adaptation
2.3.5.2 Goal-attainment
2.3.5.3 Integration
2.3.5.4 Latency
2.4 THE SOCIAL SYSTEM AS PART OF PARSONS’ GENERAL ACTION SYSTEM AND ADAPTATION, GOAL-ATTAINMENT, INTEGRATION AND LATENCY
2.4.1 Biologicalsubsystem
2.4.2 Personality subsystem
2.4.3 Social subsystem
2.4.4 Culturalsubsystem
2.4.5 Criticismof Parsons’ General ActionTheory
2.4.6 The significance of Parsons’ General Action System Theory for this research
THE EXISTENTIAL THEORY OF FRANKL
Frankl’s Auschwitz Experiment
Criticism of the Existential Theory
Significance of Frankl’s Theory of Existentialism for the present study
2.6 MASLOW’S THEORY
2.6.1 Maslow’s views on the self-actualising person
2.6.1.1 Classical conditioning
2.6.1.2 Instrumental conditioning
2.6.1.3 Modelling
2.6.2 Critique of Maslow’s theory
2.6.3 Significance of Maslow’s theory for the present study
2.6.4 Conclusion
2.6.5 TRC’s Revelations Aftermath Model
2.6.5.1 Janoff-Bulman and Frieze’s Model of Victim Experience
2.6.5.2 Bereavement theories
2.6.5.3 Parsons’ General Action System
2.6.5.4 Existential Theory of Frankl
2.6.5.5 Maslow’s Theory of Personal Growth and Motivation
2.6.6 Conclusion
2.6.7 Research expectations
2.6.7.1 Victims who attended hearings of the TRC will believe in
personal inVUlnerability before the impact of the political conflict on them
2.6.7.2 Victims who testified before the Commission will believe
that the world is meaningful
2.6.7.3 Victims who attended hearings of the TRC will have a positive view of the self
2.6.7.4 Victims who lost their loved ones during the political conflict of the mid 1980s will suffer from numbness
2.6.7.5 Victims whose family members were killed through murder
dUring the apartheid era will experience yearning as they protest against such loss
2.6.7.6 Victims whose loved ones were killed as a result of the political conflict of the apartheid era will suffer from despair
2.6.7.7 Victims who lost family members during the political conflict of the apartheid era will experience restitution as they recover from their grief
2.6.7.8 Victims whose family members disappeared during the apartheid era will suffer symptoms of pathological grief
2.6.7.9 The impact of the revelations of the TRC will have a direct effect on the biological (behavioural) subsystem (adaptation)
2.6.7.10 The impact of the revelations at the TRC hearings will have a direct effect on the personality subsystem (goal-attainment)
2.6.7.11 The impact of the TRC will have a direct effect on the social subsystem (integration)
2.6.7.11 The effect of the TRC’s revelations will have a direct impact on the cultural subsystem (latency)
2.6.7.13 Victims who attended hearings of the TRC will expect to find meaning in their suffering through discovering the truth
2.6.7.14 Victims who attended hearings of the Commission will expect to be freed from the burden of not having all the information related to the cause of their trauma
2.6.7.15 Victims who attended hearings of the TRC in this research will
expect to begin the healing process by making submissions to the TRC
2.6.7.16 Victims who attended hearings of the Commission will
expect their family members to also begin the healing process after the revelations of the TRC.
2.6.7.17 Victims who attended hearings of the TRC will expect
that the South African society will be healed by the revelations made to the Commission, as that can promote national unity
2.6.7.18 The parents of children (who display deviant behaviour) will expect them to develop a positive value system.
2.6.7.19 Parents of former youth activists (who are still unemployed) will expect them to be engaged in skills training programmes to better their lives
2.6.8 Conclusion
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY, PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
3.3 RESEARCH PROCEDURES
3.3.1 Literature study
3.3.1.1 Scientific books
3.3.1.2 Scientific articles
3.3.1.3 Newspaper reports
3.3.1.4 Popular articles
3.3.2 Documentary studies
3.3.3 Audio-visual reports
3.4 TECHNIQUES
3.4.1 Sampling
3.4.1.1 Composition of the sample
3.4.1.1.1 Sample of TRC Commissioners
3.4.1.1.2 Co-ordinators of the TRC offices
3.4.1.1.3 Sample of the victims
3.4.2 Interviews
3.4.3 Interview schedule
3.4.3.1 Composition of the interview schedule
3.4.3.2 Interviews with the respondents
3.4.3.3 The use ofthe tape recordings
3.4.3.4 Probing
3.4.4 Scientific validity and reliability of the study.
3.4.5 Observation
3.4.6 Case analysis
3.4.7 Pilot Study
3.4.7.1 Problems experienced during the pilot study.
3.5 TECHNIQUES USED TO ANALYSE DATA
3.6 RATIONALE FOR ACCEPTING OR REJECTING
RESEARCH EXPECTATIONS
PROFILE OF THE RESEARCH GROUP
Commissioners
Age group of the Commissioners
Race of the Commissioners
Gender of the Commissioners
Victim respondents.
Age group of the victim respondents
Profile of victim respondents.
Employment status of victim respondents
Educational qualifications of the victim respondents
Victim respondents’ marital status
CHAPTER 4: ANAL YSIS AND TATION OF DATA INTERPRETATION OF DATA
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 THE COMMiSSiONERS
4.2.1 Biographical information (see paragraph 3.9.1)
4.2.2 Information about the victims’ experience of bereavement
4.2.3 Information on the search for the meaning of suffering through the revelations.
4.2.4 Information about the introduction of a new value system
4.4 THE ViCTIMS
4.4.1 Janoff-Bulman and Frieze’s victim experience model
Bereavement Theories
Victim respondents’ experience of pathological grief
Parsons’ General Action Theory
Victim’s experience of the revelations of the TRC in terms
of adaptation (biological subsystem}
4.4.3.2 Victims’ experience of the revelations of the TRC in terms
of goal attainment (personality subsystem)
4.4.3.3 The impact of the revelations of the TRC on the victim
respondents in terms of the social subsystem (integration}
4.4.3.4 Victim respondents’ experience of the TRC process in terms of the cultural subsystem.
4.4.3.5 Victims’ experience in terms of The Existential Theory of Frankl
4.4.3.14.4.4 Victims’ perception of behavioural change in terms of Maslows’ Theory of Personal Growth
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 CONCLUSiONS
5.2.1 Conclusions in connection with the aims of this investigation
RECOMMENDATIONS
Healing and rehabilitation
Support services
Non-Government Organisations
Reintegration and rehabilitation
Lustration
Popular publications
Promotion of a human rights culture
Reparations
Recommendations for further research.
CONCLUSION