School of Social Sciences (SSS) Collection
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ItemExploring the role of internship experience on career decision-making among psychology majors at Makerere University(Makerere University, 2026)Internships are a critical component of psychology training, providing students with opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings and develop professional competencies. At Makerere University, internships have long been integrated into the psychology curriculum; however, limited empirical evidence exists on how these experiences shape students‘ career decision-making. In this study, I examined how internship experiences influence career clarity, confidence, and commitment among psychology majors. Guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the study employed a qualitative phenomenological design to explore the lived experiences of 12 third-year psychology students who completed internships during the 2024/2025 academic year. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that students were placed in diverse settings, including hospitals, NGOs, government agencies, and corporate organizations. Meaningful learning occurred through hands-on tasks such as counseling, mentorship, administrative work, and community engagement. Supportive supervision enhanced selfefficacy, while challenges such as transport costs, limited resources, and inconsistent supervision acted as contextual barriers. Overall, internship experiences significantly shaped students‘ career decisions by strengthening their confidence, refining their interests, and aligning their goals with realistic career pathways. I conclude that internships serve as transformative learning experiences that bridge theory and practice. The findings highlight the need for improved supervision, better facilitation, and intentional placement processes to maximize the benefits of internship training for psychology students in Uganda.
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ItemThe big five personality correlates of academic performance among university students(Makerere University, 2026)This study examines the relationship between personality traits and academic performance among undergraduate students at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. The study is guided by the Five-Factor Model of personality, which comprises conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Personality traits have been widely recognized as important psychological factors that influence students' attitudes toward learning, study habits, motivation, time management, interpersonal relationships, and overall academic achievement. While previous studies are connected to the variables most of this evidence originates from Western countries, with limited research focusing on African contexts. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional design to examine the relationship between personality traits and academic performance among undergraduate students at Makerere University. Data was collected from a representative sample using a structured questionnaire adapted from the Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI), while academic performance was measured using self-reported GPA. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure representation across different colleges and years of study Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, were used to summarize the characteristics of the respondents and the study variables. The findings of this study contributed to the growing body of knowledge on personality and academic performance and provide useful insights for students, lecturers, counsellors, and university administrators. Furthermore, the findings informed the development of evidence-based interventions and academic support programs aimed at improving student success in higher education institutions within Uganda and the broader African context.
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ItemGender norms and household power relations in parental decision-making on children’s education in Mbarara District, Uganda(Makerere University, 2026)This study examines gender norms and household power relations in parental decision-making on children's education in Mbarara District, Uganda. Despite significant progress in expanding access to education through policies such as Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education, gender disparities in educational retention and completion persist. The study is guided by three objectives: to examine parental decision-making in children's school enrolment, to explore how decision-making power between fathers and mothers influences the allocation of educational resources between boys and girls, and to analyse how intra-household decision-making power affects children's enrolment, retention, and educational resource allocation. The study adopts a qualitative exploratory research design, drawing on in-depth interviews with a father and a mother, a key informant interview with a head teacher, focus group discussions with six parents, and an observation checklist. The findings reveal that household decision-making remains predominantly patriarchal, with fathers holding final authority in educational matters. Cultural norms systematically disadvantage girls' education, with beliefs about boys as future providers and girls as temporary family members influencing resource allocation. Educational resources are allocated unequally, with boys prioritized when resources are limited. While enrolment appears equal at primary level, disparities emerge in retention and progression. Extended family members play a dual role, either supporting or undermining education, and attitudes toward girls' education are changing but practice often lags behind. The study concludes that achieving educational equity requires addressing household power dynamics and cultural norms, not only school-level factors. Recommendations focus on engaging fathers, empowering mothers economically, challenging harmful gender norms, reducing education costs, and strengthening school support systems. The study contributes to understanding the complex interplay of gender, household power, and education in rural Uganda, offering insights for policy, practice, and further research.
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ItemExamining the construction of masculinities and how they influence the perpetration and normalization of gender based violence in urban informal settlements(Makerere University, 2026)Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a significant public health and human rights concern globally, with women disproportionately affected by its consequences. In Uganda, GBV continues to be prevalent despite ongoing interventions aimed at promoting gender equality and protecting vulnerable populations. Existing evidence suggests that socially constructed masculinities play a critical role in shaping gender relations and influencing violence against women. However, limited research has explored how masculinities are constructed within urban informal settlements and how the specific social and economic conditions of these settings contribute to the perpetration and normalization of GBV. This study examined the construction of masculinities and their influence on the perpetration and normalization of gender-based violence in Katanga informal settlement, Kampala, Uganda. The study adopted a qualitative research design grounded in an interpretivist paradigm. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with fifteen purposively selected participants, including community members, key informants, and a survivor of gender-based violence. Participants represented diverse social and occupational backgrounds. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, through which themes and subthemes were generated from participants' narratives. The findings revealed that masculinities in Katanga were shaped not only by family socialization and cultural expectations but also by the everyday realities of life in an informal settlement. Poverty, unemployment, unstable incomes, overcrowded living conditions, limited privacy, informal employment, peer networks, and exposure to alcohol and community conflict influenced how boys and men learned and performed masculinity. Men were strongly expected to provide for their families despite limited economic opportunities, creating a form of masculinity characterized by pressure to demonstrate resilience, self-reliance, toughness, and authority under conditions of economic insecurity. Boys and young men also learned masculine behaviours through peer groups and informal social spaces such as boda boda stages, garages, football groups, and other community gathering places. Provider masculinity, authority-based masculinity, and control-oriented masculinity emerged as dominant forms, while economic frustration and threatened provider identities sometimes encouraged men to reassert authority through control, aggression, or violence. Community acceptance of domestic violence as a private matter, women's economic dependence, and alcohol consumption further contributed to the normalization and persistence of GBV. However, the study also identified emerging positive masculinities characterized by mutual respect, shared decision-making, emotional maturity, and non-violent behaviour. The study concludes that masculinities within Katanga are shaped by the interaction between traditional gender expectations and the particular social and economic pressures of informal settlement life. Addressing GBV therefore requires interventions that respond not only to harmful gender norms but also to the conditions of poverty, unemployment, insecure livelihoods, and peer influence that shape masculine identities within urban informal settlements. The study recommends community sensitization, promotion of positive masculinities, livelihood and economic empowerment initiatives, strengthening women's economic independence, improved survivor support systems, and alcohol abuse prevention programmes.
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ItemSocio-economic and gender-related challenges experienced by teenage mothers in accessing healthcare services: a case study of Walukuba Village, Masese, Jinja City(Makerere University, 2026)Teenage mothers face multiple socio-economic and gender-related challenges that may limit their ability to access timely, affordable and respectful healthcare services. This study examined the socio-economic and gender-related challenges experienced by teenage mothers in accessing healthcare services in Walukuba Village, Masese, Jinja City. Specifically, the study explored financial challenges, social stigma and discrimination, gender norms and unequal power relations, the nature and adequacy of social support, and the coping strategies used by teenage mothers to overcome barriers to healthcare access. A qualitative case study design was employed, and data were collected through in-depth interviews with five teenage mothers aged 16–19 years residing in Walukuba Village. The data were analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns and experiences across participants. The findings revealed that teenage mothers experienced significant financial barriers, particularly transport costs, the cost of medicines and medical supplies, limited personal income and dependence on relatives or male partners for healthcare expenses. Social stigma was experienced through family disappointment, community judgement, embarrassment and, in some cases, disrespectful treatment within healthcare settings. Gender norms placed greater responsibility for pregnancy, childcare and domestic work on teenage mothers, while fathers of the children often provided inconsistent support. Although teenage mothers were generally able to recognise when healthcare was needed, limited control over financial resources sometimes reduced their ability to seek care independently. Mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and Village Health Team members were important sources of emotional, financial, practical and informational support, although such support was often inadequate. Teenage mothers coped by borrowing money, seeking help from relatives, keeping small savings, using informal income, consulting VHTs and sometimes visiting drug shops before seeking formal treatment. The study concludes that healthcare access among teenage mothers is shaped by interconnected financial, social and gender-related factors rather than by the availability of health services alone. Improving access therefore requires interventions that address financial vulnerability, stigma, gender inequality, weak paternal responsibility and inadequate support systems. The study recommends strengthening adolescent-friendly healthcare services, family and paternal support, VHT services, economic empowerment, educational reintegration and community-based support programmes for teenage mothers. These measures would help improve timely, affordable, respectful and continuous healthcare access for teenage mothers and their children.