| dc.description.abstract | The research done in preparation for this study illustrates that – although extensive research has been done worldwide on Deaf culture, sign language, mental health services to deaf people, the challenges that families with deaf children face, as well as the counselling and therapy of deaf children – research remains inadequate when it comes to pastoral care and counselling of hearing families with deaf children.
The above situation has resulted in the main research question:
What practical theological model can be formulated as a foundation for the pastoral care and counselling of families with deaf children? Further research questions arise from this research question.
Thus, this study is aimed at indicating what the pastoral care and counselling of families with deaf children ought to entail by developing a practical theological counselling model to be utilized by pastoral practitioners. The model of practical theological interpretation for Practical Theology designed by Richard Osmer is used in this study.
The descriptive-empirical task, asking “What is going on?” and aimed at gaining an understanding of the experiences of hearing families with deaf children as well as the current situation of pastoral care and counselling of families with deaf children is done in chapter 2. The results of the qualitative enquiry, derived from semi-structured interviews with parents of deaf children, indicate the challenges families with deaf children face, the lack of formal pastoral care and counselling, and the necessity for increased attention being paid to the needs and expectations of these families.
A literature study of various related sciences in chapter 3 forms part of the interpretative task of answering the question “Why is this going on?” in regard to the current situation of families with deaf children in South Africa, and it provides important information with an array of facets related to deafness and various models of deafness. The dominant view of deafness as a disability is sharply contrasted to the socio-cultural view of deafness as a cultural and linguistic matter, but an additional development in literature indicates a shift toward a more bicultural approach in which dialogue between the opposing views is made possible. The challenges in terms of Deaf ministry and the lack of readily-available, reliable spiritual resources on deafness, and pastoral work with families with deaf children, turn out to be increasingly evident in this chapter.
An exegetical study characterises chapter 4 as an attempt to answer the question which Osmer‟s normative task asks: “What ought to be going on?” thus, it endeavours to determine what ethical and normative perspectives are provided by Scripture for the pastoral care and counselling of families with deaf children. The focus in this chapter is on normative principles pertaining to the process of grief, attitudes towards deafness, and ethical questions pertaining to deafness; this is approached by concentrating mainly on the book of Lamentations, 1 Corinthians 12 and a few additional passages. It is clear from studying specific parts of Scripture that relevant normative principles can indeed be derived from Scripture in terms of pastoral care and counselling of families with deaf children.
The pragmatic task responds to the last of the four questions connected to the four tasks of Osmer‟s model, namely “How might we respond?” Chapter 5 marks the hermeneutical integration between the findings of the descriptive-empirical, interpretative and normative tasks in order to move from theory to practice. The subsequent result of this hermeneutical interaction and transition is then the formulation of a practical theological model for the pastoral care and counselling to families with deaf children (the DEAF model). The aim of this model is to expand parents‟ and pastoral practitioners‟ understanding of and perspectives on deafness, and to facilitate a life anchored in the Triune God, which can consequently promote spiritual growth and the overall well-being of the family, and in particular that of the deaf child.
Navorsing gedoen ter voorbereiding van hierdie studie toon dat – hoewel uitgebreide navorsing wêreldwyd alreeds gedoen is oor Dowe kultuur, gebaretaal, geestesgesondheidsdienste aan dowe mense, die uitdagings wat gesinne met dowe kinders in die gesig staar, asook die berading en terapie van dowe kinders – studies met betrekking tot pastorale sorg en berading van horende gesinne met dowe kinders, steeds onvoldoende is.
Die bogenoemde situasie lei tot die oorkoepelende navorsingsvraag:
Watter praktiese teologiese model kan geformuleer word vir die pastorale sorg en berading van gesinne met dowe kinders? Verdere navorsingsvrae vloei uit die navorsingsvraag voort.
Hierdie studie is dus daarop gemik om aan te dui wat die pastorale sorg en berading van gesinne met dowe kinders behoort te behels deur die daarstel van 'n prakties-teologiese beradingsmodel vir gebruik deur pastorale praktisyns. Die model van prakties-teologiese interpretasie vir Praktiese Teologie ontwerp deur Richard Osmer word in hierdie studie gebruik.
Die beskrywend-empiriese taak, wat vra "Wat is aan die gebeur?" en wat daarop gemik is om sowel 'n begrip van horende gesinne met dowe kinders se ervarings, as die huidige situasie van pastorale sorg en berading van gesinne met dowe kinders te ontwikkel word in hoofstuk 2 gedoen. Die resultate van die kwalitatiewe ondersoek bestaande uit semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met ouers van dowe kinders, dui op die uitdagings wat gesinne met dowe kinders in die gesig staar, asook die gebrek aan formele pastorale sorg en berading van hierdie families, en beklemtoon die noodsaaklikheid vir „n verhoogde bewustheid van die behoeftes en verwagtinge van hierdie families.
'n Literatuurstudie van verskeie verwante wetenskappe in hoofstuk 3 maak deel uit van die interpretatiewe taak van die beantwoording van die vraag: "Hoekom is dit aan die gebeur?", met betrekking tot die huidige situasie van families met dowe kinders in Suid-Afrika, en bied belangrike inligting ten opsigte van 'n verskeidenheid fasette wat verband hou met doofheid en verskeie modelle van doofheid. Die dominante siening van doofheid as 'n gestremdheid is in skerp kontras met die sosio-kulturele siening van doofheid as 'n kulturele en taalkundige kwessie, maar 'n bykomende ontwikkeling in die literatuur toon 'n verskuiwing in die rigting van 'n meer bikulturele benadering waarin dialoog tussen die teenstellende standpunte moontlik gemaak word. Uitdagings in terme van Dowe-bediening en die gebrek aan geredelik beskikbare, betroubare geestelike hulpbronne oor doofheid, en pastorale werk met gesinne met dowe kinders, word toenemend duidelik in hierdie hoofstuk.
'n Eksegetiese studie kenmerk hoofstuk 4 as 'n poging om die vraag wat Osmer se normatiewe taak vra, te beantwoord, nl: "Wat behoort te gebeur?" en dus om te bepaal watter etiese en normatiewe perspektiewe die Skrif bied vir die pastorale sorg en berading van gesinne met dowe kinders. Die fokus in hierdie hoofstuk is op normatiewe beginsels met betrekking tot die rouproses, houdings teenoor doofheid, en etiese vrae met betrekking tot doofheid deur hoofsaaklik te konsentreer op die boek Klaagliedere, 1 Korinthiërs 12 en 'n paar bykomende Skrifgedeeltes. Dit is duidelik uit die bestudering van spesifieke Skrifgedeeltes dat relevante normatiewe beginsels wel vanuit die Bybel afgelei kan word ten opsigte van pastorale sorg en berading van gesinne met dowe kinders.
Die pragmatiese taak reageer op die laaste van die vier vrae in verband met die vier take van Osmer se model, naamlik "Hoe kan ons reageer?". Hoofstuk 5 merk die hermeneutiese integrasie tussen die bevindinge van die beskrywend-empiriese, interpretatiewe en normatiewe take vir die oorgang van teorie na praktyk. Die gevolg van hierdie hermeneutiese interaksie en oorgang kulmineer in die formulering van 'n prakties-teologiese model vir die pastorale sorg en berading aan gesinne met dowe kinders (die DEAF model). Die doel van hierdie model is om begrip van ouers en pastorale praktisyns se verstaan van en perspektiewe oor doofheid uit te brei, 'n lewe geanker in die Drie-enige God te fasiliteer, wat gevolglik geestelike groei en die algehele welstand van die gesin en in die besonder van die dowe kind, kan bevorder. | en_US |
