Speaking with rape survivors : an analysis of the stories women share

Rape is an all too familiar phenomenon in South Africa. Yet, whereas there is a growingliterature in the west, which examines the everyday understandings of rape amongst women, inSouth Africa documented understanding of rape is largely contained within theoretical-sociological explanations for its high prevalence. This study aimed to explore the ways in which a group of rape survivors in the Western Cape, South Africa, make sense of rape and its impact on their lives. A secondary aim was to examine whether Western trauma classifications provide a useful framework for understanding the impact of rape in this context. The study formed the qualitative component of a larger quantitative study focused on women's adherence to anti-retroviral medication post rape (The Post Exposure Prophylaxis Study). The research question was approached from a feminist social constructionist perspective, using qualitative methodology. In depth interviews with ten rape survivors were carried out, six months postrape.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Psychology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• De Swardt, Catherine

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Maw, Anastasia

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10400

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/10400