Stage 5: Terminating interview session: This stage was an indication that the interview had come to an end, this is where the researcher made an indication by using phrases such as “in
4.2. DATA FINDINGS
4.2.1 The demographic profile of semi-structured one-on-one interview participants This section presents data findings from semi-structured interviews starting with information
4.2.2.3. Theme 3: Coping strategies
When asked about their coping mechanisms, P1 attributed all his academic success to hard work.
He indicated that I am not intelligent, but see myself as a hard worker.P8 shared a similar experience as P1 as he indicated there is no choice but to work hard in order to succeed here.
92 Acquired resilience builds a sense of consciousness and commitment to the environment where an individual strives to do well and live up to expectations. P7 expressed that I do not want to disappoint my grandmother who tries so hard to keep the family going. P8 also used the same coping attitude as P1 he also demonstrated the desire to please the aunt and uncle by doing well.
P8 said my aunt and uncle take education as a priority, they taught me to work hard and I would not want to disappoint them.
The desire to try hard is associated with having a positive outlook on life where the researcher got an indication from P1 that drawing from the available supports impacted on achieving academic goals. P1 wanted to achieve and have a stable career in order to support the family, as he said that I have always wanted to do the best I can so that I can have a stable career in Civil Engineering in order to take good care the family. A positive outlook was also indicated through P2 as she shared that my dream is to one day have my own business in the township and not depend on being employed as a lot of youth are unemployed.
Different to the challenges at school level, a strategy for academic success mentioned by P5 was the value added by using available resources. P5 stated that the teachers at the college were supportive. Experiments are done practically, there is a library and these help with academic success. P1 also believed that if it was not from the school support hope would have been lost as going to school gave a sense of purpose.
Interpretation of theme 3
It is evident that the post-school youth had unique attributes in dealing with challenging circumstances living in Tembisa Township. Resilience has been displayed as being intrinsic and extrinsic and this is supported by the theories of resilience. Intrinsic resilience is the ability to willingly work hard under stressful conditions; work towards achieving goals and use self- control. Extrinsic resilience is demonstrated through adherence to prescriptions of the surrounding environment such as the law, culture, religion, discipline from school; and family norms and values. Families of youth and schools are found to have contributed to building the ability to make informed decisions of who to befriend and associate with. Individual attributes and environmental resources helped towards the academic achievement of the youth.
93 When faced with difficulties, resilience gives the courage to try new things and to make an effort to utilise the little available resources. This involves going the extra mile, saving, doing extra work all towards achieving the set goals (Dass-Brailsford, 2005: 574; Goldstein & Brooks, 2012:3). This character of having courage reveals the presence of academic resilience and a coping ability from a person surrounded by adversity. Interviews revealed that the participants’
lived experiences and provide a clear understanding of how people live their lives and how they cope (Elliott & Timulak, 2005: 147). The discussion above demonstrates the participants’
practical coping mechanisms when experiencing financial strain in their context.
Discussion of Theme 3
The family is a structure that should build character, values and strong norms to help with survival strategies. The family, as a support system, should be an effective platform for communication, problem-solving and emotional support (Van Breda, 2001: 31). It is evident that in families of most of participants that there were many threats that presented with a broken Circle of Courage for holistic growth. The Circle of Courage states that in order for an individual to succeed academically and in many other areas, it is critical to experience belonging, mastery, independence and generosity (Brendtro, Brokenleg & Bockern, 2013:67). The families of the youth who participated in the study lacked in providing the necessary support. P2’s father’s excessive drinking was negative towards this youth. This then says that the participant’s resilience attributes enabled him to cope under difficult circumstances. Resilience is a person’s capability to recover and assume their efforts to a productive lifestyle (Goldstein & Brooks, 2012:13). Resilience allows the individual the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and make favourable decisions. Academic resilience drives a person to motivate himself or herself against the negativity that surrounds them. As discussed in the previous responses, resilience provides the desire to work hard, exercise self-determination, and see challenges as opportunities for growth. Tembisa post-school youth who were academically resilient indicated how they pulled through the challenging life conditions in their township, (Goldstein & Brooks, 2012:3) believes that resiliency allows a person find coping mechanism. The ability to use internal strength and environamental supports are discussed in the resilience theory as intrinsic strengths and extrinsic attributes that enable success. According to Dass-Brailsford (2005: 574) academically resilient people find strengths in their environment and maintain a positive outlook on life. This was
94 evident in the participants where they expressed satisfaction and fulfilment in the current career training in spite of the strains they experienced in the environment. The presence of academic resilience enables a person to look for an opportunity to grow and to achieve their aspirations and goals (Sawyer & Burton, 2012:54).
4.2.2.4. Theme 4: Significant challenges facing post-school youth identified for the study in