Social Work / Maatskaplike Werk (E-Journal)
Not a member yet
916 research outputs found
Sort by
AUTOETHNOGRAPHIC VIEW OF SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: HIGHLIGHTING SOCIAL (IN)JUSTICE
Get PDF COVID-19 has exposed the inequalities and polarisation of South African communities and institutions of higher learning on the continuum of privilege. As nine social work educators, we share our reflections on how we traversed the higher education space during the beginning of the pandemic, using an autoethnography lens, with the pedagogy of discomfort and critical social work theory as the threads in the complex tapestry of our stories. We describe our orientations as social work educators, the successes, challenges, and recommendations on reimagining and reframing learning and teaching in relation to student-institutional relationships, boundaries and support
SKOLLIES IN MY SKOOL - MENINGS WAT SAAK MAAK/SKOLLIES IN MY SCHOOL – OPINIONS THAT MATTER
Get PDFThere is considerable concern about the increasing phenomenon of school gangs on the Cape Flats. This article emanated from a larger research study undertaken over a three-year period (2016-2018) by Social Work students from the University of the Western Cape. The objective was to explore and describe the experiences of school learners about youth in gangs, and to develop appropriate interventions. This article presents the findings of the 2016 study. A qualitative approach, utilising an exploratory and descriptive design, was used. Individual interviews were conducted with 400 learners from eight schools on the Cape Flats using purposive and convenient sampling. Six main themes are presented that emerged from thematic data analysis. These include poverty and unemployment, unsafe spaces in townships, substance abuse, the power of gangs, peer pressure and bullies as well as family relationships and family dynamics. Ethics approval to conduct the study was obtained from the research ethics committee of the University
EXPLORING INTERVENTION FOR WIDOWS IN BINGA DISTRICT, ZIMBABWE: A SOCIAL WORK INTEGRATIVE MODEL
Get PDFThis article discusses a social work intervention model that addresses the psychosocial plight of widows in Zimbabwe. The ARTICLE uses a qualitative approach and a phenomenological research design as a basis for one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews that provided the information needed for the formulation of a social work basic care integrative model. The findings of the research indicate that there are gaps in social work interventions that suggest the need for an integrative intervention model to guide social workers in practice in meeting the welfare needs of the widows in Binga District
KEY INFORMANTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON FOOD SECURITY AMONG FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS IN KENYA
Get PDFSocial connectedness plays an important role in protecting food security, which requires multidisciplinary input from fields such as nutrition, agriculture, public health, social work and community development. This qualitative study explored food security among female-headed households (FHHs) in Kenya, as part of a larger mixed methods doctoral study. Fifteen key informants monitoring food security were interviewed in the qualitative phase and the thematic analysis generated nine themes, of which two are discussed. Results reveal that dietary diversity in FHHs is poor: they often experience severe food insecurity. Recommendations for practice, policy, and future research are provided
Editorial
Get PDFThe editor assumes no responsibility for opinions expressed by contributors. Die redakteur aanvaar geen verantwoordelikheid vir menings in bydraes uitgespreek nie
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEFICITS ASSOCIATED WITH TEENAGERS BORN AND RAISED IN A “SMALL-HOUSE” FAMILY SETTING IN CHERUTOMBO IN MARONDERA, ZIMBABWE
Get PDFThe family as a sacrosanct conduit of care and protection, as well as a forum for the socialisation of children is increasingly being threatened in Zimbabwe by the exponentially growing impact of the small-house phenomenon (clandestine extramarital affairs). This article reports on a qualitative study, which established that being born and raised in a small-house family is associated with feelings of rejection, loneliness, loss of identity, low self-esteem, poor social intelligence and social stigma. These psychosocial deficits have been noted to contribute to developmental and emotional challenges for children, which can have undesirable social outcomes. This discussion is intended to support service providers and families to effectively safeguard the wellbeing of these children
THE FOUNDATIONS AND NATURE OF SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK: AN OVERVIEW
Get PDFThe article provides the background for judging the current and future roles and functions of school social workers in South Africa. It covers the history and nature of South African school social work and the policy dictates that govern local practice, as well as the challenges faced by learners and the roles, tasks and functions practitioners could, and should, perform to address these challenges. Moreover, the article attempts to indicate the basis for the further development of this speciality within the local profession, as well as promote research in this fiel
THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES IN SOUTH AFRICA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Get PDFChild protection services are seen as the largest field of social work service delivery in South Africa. Repeated warnings of the ‘crisis state’ of child protection services have gone unheeded. The aim of this article is to determine the current landscape of child protection service delivery and research within the South African context. The developmental social welfare approach was used as the epistemological framework for this systematic review. Findings indicated a significant emphasis on statutory services and a lack of resources for family preservation efforts. Appropriate costing models should be generated to specify critical needs and garner support from stakeholders
MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS FOR CARING FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IN SOUTH AFRICA: HOME-BASED CAREGIVERS’ EXPERIENCES
Get PDFThis qualitative study, based on Loretta Williams’s middle-range theory of caregiving dynamics, explores and describes the motivations of home-based caregivers in caring for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five home-based caregivers from three provinces of South Africa. The study underscores Williams’s theory. It revealed that caregivers are motivated by experiencing caregiving as a divine calling; a need for self-fulfilment; an innate passion; a response to personal experiences (having a sick family member, or who is HIV-infected); an alternative career (to nursing or social work); a form of employment; and utilising existing experiences and skills
PLAYING THE SECOND FIDDLE - THE EXPERIENCES, CHALLENGES AND COPING STRATEGIES OF CONCERNED SIGNIFICANT OTHERS OF PARTNERS WITH A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER: INFORMING SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTIONS
Get PDFSubstance abuse constantly wreaks havoc on families. A family member’s substance use disorder (SUD) repeatedly turns a home into a volatile, toxic environment, immersing concerned significant others (CSOs) in a state of confusion and hardship, forcing them to sacrifice their own energies and resources in order to manage this aberration in their midst, often to the extent that they eventually adopt maladaptive behaviours themselves to survive. When partners with an SUD enter treatment, the interventions primarily focus on them, while the non-abusing CSO partner is regarded as an adjunct to the primary treatment and instrumental in a successful treatment outcome. The CSO’s own needs usually go unrecognized and they seldom receive specialised treatment to recover from the anguish caused by a partner’s SUD, depriving them of a service they are entitled to as individuals in their own right. This phenomenon explains the lacuna in treatment regimens aimed at CSOs which should also fall within the ambit of social work.