Abstract
M.Ed.
The majority of schools under the jurisdiction of the Gauteng Education Department have fully integrated Family and Sexuality Education as part of the school curriculum. Yet it appears that teenage pregnancies, premarital sex and sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase. Thus the question arises - why has Family and Sexuality Education not made any significant difference in assisting and guiding the adolescent with the development of a well-established, assertive gender identity? Perhaps the answer lies in the primary context of the adolescent, namely the family, its structure and the family relationships. This investigation then focuses on the development of adolescent gender identity in the context of a dysfunctional family. The theory framework for this study includes readings in Developmental Psychology which focus on adolescent development in general and adolescent gender identity development in particular. In order to address this aim, it is also necessary to investigate through a theoretical framework, the
following three aspects: which dysfunctional family factors play a role in the development of adolescent gender identity? what is the nature of adolescent gender identity, and how does it develop? how is the family, and thus also the adolescent, influenced by society?
The problem that is focused upon in this study often confronts the Head of Department:
Educational Guidance, who has to deal with the ever increasing number of behavioural and emotional problems experienced by some adolescents. Very often these problems are identified as being due to immaturity, without a real investigation of the underlying cause. This could possibly be the result of a lack of knowledge and understanding of the problem. This study is then also directed at the position and tasks of the Head of Department: Educational Guidance, and aims to illustrate an approach to the identification of the problem under study. The nature of the research question presupposes a case study as research format. The discussion takes place against the background of the qualitative research design. The research design is descriptive and contextual as it aims to understand and give better insight into the development of adolescent gender identity within a dysfunctional family unit.