Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Prosocial behaviour is a much needed element in society that creates a sense of \ncooperation and unity. Acts of helpfulness, sharing and care enhance the wellbeing of \ncommunities. Prosocial behaviour in children with cancer is an under-researched topic \nthat provides glimpses into the workings of this special population. The perceptions and \nexperiences of parents of this demographic with regards to their children’s possible \nprosocial behaviour and attributions of its fluctuation during and after hospitalization is \neven less explored. Due to its qualitative nature, this study focused on perceptions and \ninsider worldviews of the participants. It also used the interpretive voice of the researcher \nto enhance the phenomenological aspect of the enquiry. Data from nine participants using \nsemi-structured interview questions, yielded material that was then analysed using \nThematic Content Analysis. Two categories of themes were gleaned from the narratives: \ni) ‘behavioural and character attributes’ and ii) ‘process of illness’. Seven themes \nemerged under the first category and two under the second. It was argued that the \ndefinition of prosociality in the broad sense that includes internal attributes such as \nresilience and positivity can have effects that are likened to prosocial behaviour and \nwhich was found in the sample. Furthermore, engaging with the horrors of their \nchildren’s illness puts parents in contact with difficult feelings which can make them \nutilize an array of defences, including the idealization of their children. One expression of \nthis ‘halo effect’ is viewing their children as prosocial. However, it was also found that \nchildren in life-threatening situations may indeed spur the expression of higher levels of \nprosocial behaviour, defined in the broad sense above and beyond parental defences. \nAttributions of this process may be transcendental as well as defence based. \nRecommendations for future research can be empirical studies linking prosocial \nbehaviour to prognosis of illness and the stage of cancer or remission.
Author: Nadia Belete
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W111240959