“We should be thankful for the bad things”:”: Black

South African adolescents’ understanding of gratitude

Tharina Guse & Tshiamo Matabane

Department of Psychology, University of Johannesburg

7th ECPP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1-4 July 2014

The South African context

• Multi-racial society

• Both individualistic and collectivistic cultures

• African/black culture is associated more with a collectivistic orientation

• Ubuntu: I am because of others

Adolescence in an African context

• Negotiating developmental tasks and rapid socio-economic

transformation

• Individuation includes the question : " Who am I to others?"

(Ramakgopa, 2001)

• "Born free's"

• How do these youth understand gratitude?

Gratitude

• Associated with positive psychological functioning in many studies

• Gratitude interventions have been shown to increase well-being

• Most research done from a Western perspective

• Less is known about how gratitude is qualitatively understood

• Particularly: how is gratitude understood in an African context?

AIMS

• To explore

• how Black South African adolescents understood gratitude

• what they were thankful for, and

• how they expressed gratitude

METHOD

• Research approach

• Focus group in mother tongue (Setswana)

• Participants

• Six adolescents aged 14-16; Three female, three male

• Living in Soweto

• Data analysis

• Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006)

Results

What is gratitude?

• Being thankful for what you

have

• ..."whatever small thing I

have, I should be grateful for

it."

• Acknowledging God

• "...appreciating everything

that God gives you"

What is gratitude?

• Something that has to be expressed through actions and words

• “…how we appear to people…expressing yourself with words”

• “It goes along with respect.”

• Can result from negative experiences

• "...we should also be grateful for bad things...you can tease me but...you are strengthening me...I am thankful for you having strengthened me.

What are black adolescents thankful for?

• Family: their challenges and sacrifices

• "I am grateful for my little brothers…they taught me responsibility.”

“…having a parent…the little she has she spends on me…”

• Family: Rules and discipline

• "I am grateful for my mother. If she said that you not getting it she

meant that...I have learned to be patient and...to accept what I have."

• "...being disciplined...if my mother did not discipline me the way she

did...I would not be speaking English so fluently."

What are black adolescents thankful for?

• Friends as source of support and positive emotions

• "They give me a reason to come to school."

• Opportunities for excelling

• “..I got a scholarship…a bursary to continue…that is an opportunity I am grateful for.”

• "I am grateful for my brain….my teacher liked placing me in science competitions.”

How do Black South African adolescents express

gratitude?

• Utilizing opportunities and excelling

• "...by going to school...so my parents could see I am performing

[well]...so they can see I appreciate what they do for me."

How do Black South African adolescents express

gratitude?

• Showing "good" behaviour

• Doing chores

• "...by doing anything that is asked of me to do at home."

• "... I can babysit my little brothers..."

• Being respectful at home and in community

• " I show my appreciation by being respectful."

• " I just practice the respect I was taught at home."

Challenges in expressing gratitude

• Perceived negative attitudes from community members

• "...sometimes ...you can't show that you appreciate

[opportunities]...because some people don't like seeing other

people's children succeed and not theirs."

• "...in my street...this lady made a remark as I walked past...saying I

was not going to school but that I am out to meet men...I just

greeted her."

Conclusion

• Family and community seems to play an important part in

experiencing and expressing gratitude

• Gratitude could be found through adversity

• Community attitudes could influence the expression of gratitude