“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