Question 1 (Marks: 20)
A large majority of South Africans live in low-income households in impoverished communities with limited access to healthcare. Discuss four prevalent teratogens in South Africa’s socio-economic context.

Provide context for these, with credible academic research for each. Minus three marks applies per teratogen not supported by research evidence from credible academic sources.

Question 2 (Marks: 50)
You have been employed as a Developmental Psychology specialist in the neonatal ward of a government hospital and tasked with creating a post-partum support programme for mothers and fathers of newborn babies delivered at the hospital. Write an in-depth guide on the support and resources that will be required to mitigate risk and build resilience. In this discussion you will include:

• An in-depth discussion on identifying at-risk newborns (10).
• Factors that contribute to a positive birthing experience for the mother, decreasing the risk for post-partum depression (10).
• Factors that contribute (at least two) to a positive birthing experience for the father (10).
• Factors that will decrease the effects of potential risks and complications and increase resilience in the birth process (10).
• Examples (at least two) of how the neo-natal ward could go about this in the programme (10).

Question 3 (Marks: 30)
Developing countries usually share similar social and economic challenges, especially if the country’s population is more diverse in nature. Tawuran is a form of mass fighting that occurs on the streets of Jakarta, in Indonesia. These high school brawls are fuelled by a deeply embedded culture of patriarchy which leads to high school students risking injury and sometimes death.

After studying the Al Jazeera investigative report below, provide an explanation for how the theories below would account for this phenomenon. Explain the theory briefly and demonstrate how it would account for the problem of Jakarta’s school brawls.

Note: The video contains some sensitive and violent imagery regarding the Tawuran and have been included for educational purposes only.

1. Al Jazeera. (2017, March 24). Jakarta School Brawl 101 East [Video]. YouTube.

• Bioecological Model/Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner) (15)
• Cognitive Development Theory/Constructivism (Piaget) (15)

Provide references for all the ideas that are incorporated into your write-up. Submissions that are not referenced will be marked in the “developing” and “insufficient” category, even if correct.

Answers to Questions on Teratogens in South Africa

Answer 1: An analysis of the South African economy indicates that there are many prevalent teratogens that account for direct impact on the birth rate of children. In this respect, the most significant teratogens are higher amounts of smoking among South African women during pregnancy, and increasing consumption of alcohol is another major teratogens that affect the overall child development during pregnancy.