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Narrative Therapy Dissertation
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(Part 4) |
DECONSTRUCTING SECONDARY TRAUMA AND RACISM AT A SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE STATION |
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A Dissertation by JO VILJOEN |
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PART ONE
1. How would you describe racism in your own words, e.g. what would a person have to do to deserve the title 'racist'?
2. Is it possible to differentiate between racism and discrimination? If so, how would you differentiate between the two problems? If not, please explain your views.
3. Is it possible that when a white person looks at racism, that he/she would perceive it differently to a black person? Is it possible that when a black person looks at the same situation, that he/she would recognise racism and discrimination in places where a white person might not recognise it? Please explain your answer in your own words.
4. Have you ever experienced any for of racism and or discrimination in your own life? If so, how would you describe such an incident?
5. How would you describe the impact of discrimination or racism on your life as well as the thoughts it made you think about yourself and others?
6. How would you describe the impact of racism and discrimination on the lives of other people?
7. How would you describe racism and discrimination in South Africa? How would you describe the different faces and voices of racism and discrimination in South Africa and the police service?
8. How do you think racism and discrimination became a powerful force in our country?
9. In your opinion, which structures and influences support the maintenance of racism and discrimination in the police?
10. How has the new legislation on human rights affected racism and discrimination in the police?
11. How can one detect the presence of racism and discrimination in the police? Please describe the telltale signs that would disclose its presence?
12. How do you perceive the effect of racism and discrimination on the interpersonal relationships between members of the police service?
13. Which general circumstances in the country and more specifically in the police strengthen the hold of racism and discrimination?
14. Which circumstances in the country in general and in the police in specific stand up to and work against the effects of racism and discrimination?
15. Do you think that racism and discrimination could influence the behaviour and thoughts of police officers? If so, please describe in your own words.
16. How do you think racism and discrimination manages to break down the knowledges, wisdom and skills police officers have?
17. How do racism and discrimination attempt to convince police officers that it should gain authority in their lives?
18. What do you think racism and discrimination have identified as its ultimate goal for police officers?
19. How do you think racism and discrimination would react when they discover that their strategies are undermined and weakened?
PART TWO
1. Can you identify areas in the lives of police officers that have managed to escape from the effects of racism and discrimination?
2. What techniques have you developed to overcome the effects of racism and discrimination of your life?
3. What special knowledges and experiences do you have that make it difficult for problems like racism and discrimination to blind you to your own healthy judgement?
4. Which word would you use to address the problem of racism and discrimination in the police and to challenge its authority over people's lives and thoughts?
5. Which behaviour and ways of speaking could weaken the hold racism and discrimination has developed on police officers?
6. What would you identify as racism and discrimination's weaknesses and how would you use their weaknesses against them?
7. Who supports you in your quest against racism and discrimination? What role do these people, institutions, legislation and structures play to hamper the goals and wishes racism and discrimination have with police officers?
PART THREE
If it had been possible to invite an audience of people who have personally experienced the effects of racism and discrimination in the police to witness these questions and answers, what effect do you think it could have had on their experience of racism and discrimination?
Thank you so much for your participation and patience with this questionnaire.
Jo Viljoen
Wisdom is nothing if it is not based on the knowledge that God is a co-author of our life stories. Without the presence of the Creator of the Universe on this journey, the police officers and I would have been unable to re-author the chaotic stories of stress, crisis and racism of police lived experience. Baruch Hashem. I traveled with many people on this therapy-as-research journey, a journey I could not have risked taking alone. Daan, Mandy and Mason, you embody enduring love. Narrative action research took its toll on all of us during the writing of this story, depriving us of our time and togetherness as a couple and a family. Your enduring love and respect sustained us all during this time. There are no words of thanks to adequately express what you meant to me while I was immersed in the lives of the police officers. Leonie and Danielle, your smiles, hugs and cups of coffee were tangible acts of love. Thank you. Neil* , Marne*, Caren*, Sipho*, Tom*, Jan*, James*, Boitomelo*, John*, "The Group" and every one of the officers from this particular urban South African Police Service station, thank you for inviting me into your lives. Your life stories touched me deeply and made this action research possible. Thank you. Dianne* and Laurance, your reflections and perspectives on Chapter Four added depths and insights to the therapy-as-research conversation that only your lived experience could bring. I have been changed as a person through my association with you, Elmarie. I did not realise that your supervision of my research would include the kind of support, love, faith, friendship, laughter and tears that became our research journey. The way in which you 'walk your talk' sets the example for everybody who is privileged enough to work with you. Your respectful, yet passionate ways of working added dimensions of caring to my practice that I never knew were possible. Thank you for being a co-author of my personal and professional story. Nevi, Tegan and Annetjie, your invested friendship, encouragement, support, time and physical effort sustained my efforts to record this research story. Thank you for being a community of concern, strengthening me on this, sometimes painful journey. Idette, thank you for putting your heart into my work, exceeding your role as linguist by far, becoming co-author and friend. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
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