The life of Helen Suzman: a psychobiographical study
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Date
2013-07
Authors
Nel, Carla
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Apart from the current upsurge in interest in psychobiographical research, South
African psychologists may be further motivated by the country’s recent political history to
embark on a study of exceptional lives or significant figures. A renewed focus on antiapartheid
activists could be of great value in the current South African context and the
process of constructing a narrative of the nation’s troubled past. Helen Suzman (1917-2009)
won worldwide recognition for her role as anti-apartheid activist and parliamentary politician.
She displayed exceptional resilience under trying and often hostile conditions and became
known for her intolerance of injustice and concern for the plight of the disenfranchised.
Helen Suzman’s life has not been the subject of any prior psychologically-informed
biography. She was selected through purposive sampling as the subject for this
psychobiography. The researcher aimed to provide a psychologically driven exploration and
description of aspects of her life within its sociohistorical context, through the application of
specific psychological approaches to the available biographical data. The two psychological
frameworks used in this study were (a) a stage-based dynamic description of psychosocial
development (Erikson, 1963, 1997), and (b) a model for holistic wellness within positive
psychology (Myers, Sweeney & Witmer, 2000; Sweeney & Witmer, 1991; Witmer &
Sweeney, 1992). The primary aim of this study was therefore to explore and describe Helen
Suzman’s psychosocial development and her holistic wellness throughout her lifespan. This
objective falls within an inductive research approach, and reflects the exploratory-descriptive
nature of the study.
Two methodological strategies were used in this study. Firstly, Alexander’s model
(1988, 1990) was used to organise, extract, prioritise and analyse the data. The indicators of
salience helped ensure that all significant pieces of biographical data were carefully
considered for analysis. Posing specific questions to the data enabled the researcher to
extract units of analysis relevant to the aim of the study. Secondly, the use of conceptual
frameworks and matrices enabled the longitudinal exploration, categorisation and description
of the stages of psychosocial development and the components of holistic wellness,
respectively.
The eugraphic focus of both psychological frameworks enabled the researcher to
explore aspects of Helen’s life in terms of healthy development and holistic wellness.
Findings from this study suggested that Helen Suzman (a) progressed successfully through all psychosocial stages of development and accrued all ego strengths as proposed by Erikson,
and (b) achieved a relatively high degree of wellness in all the dimensions and tasks of the
holistic wellness model. Findings from both frameworks, furthermore, highlighted the
influence of contextual factors on her psychosocial development and holistic wellness.
This study contributed to the body of knowledge on Helen Suzman and the
psychobiographical approach. It, furthermore, provided a unique platform for demonstrating
the value and relevance of the theory of psychosocial development and the holistic wellness
model when applied to an individual life. Based on the application of these theories,
recommendations are made for future psychobiographical research projects.
Description
Keywords
Psychobiography, Helen Suzman, Erik Erikson, Thomas Sweeney, Melvin Witmer, Jane Myers, Psychosocial development, Holistic wellness, Neo-Adlerian, Suzman, Helen, Women in politics -- South Africa, Politicians -- South Africa -- Biography, Thesis (Ph.D. Psychology)--University of the Free State, 2013