Social Work / Maatskaplike Werk (E-Journal)
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DIE ROL VAN MAATSKAPLIKE WERK IN VERWANTE PLEEGSORG-PLASINGS
Get PDFDaar is in Suid-Afrika ’n toename in die getal sorgbehoewende kinders wat deur familielede versorg word (Schönteich, 2000). Volgens die Jaarverslag van die Departement Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling was daar ’n merkbare toename in die toekenning van pleegouertoelaes (tussen April 2000 en April 2003). In die jaar 2000 het 49 843 pleegouers pleegouertoelaes ontvang. Dit verhoog in 2001 na 61 268. ’n Verdere styging na 9 680 word vir 2002 aangedui en in 2003 was dit 138 763. Hierdie gegewens dui daarop dat pleegsorgplasings in Suid-Afrika skerp toegeneem het
DIE AFWENDING (DIVERSION) VAN VOLWASSENES EN VEREISTES WAARAAN SOGENAAMDE WENSLIKHEID VAN VERVOLGING-VERSLAE MOET VOLDOEN
Get PDFDie misdaadprobleem en oorvol korrektiewe sentra waarmee Suid-Afrika worstel, vereis kreatiewe oplossings. Een hiervan is die afwending (diversion) van volwassenes. Dié opsie behels basies die kanalisering van prima facie-sake, met of sonder voorwaardes, weg van die strafregtelike sisteem af (Badenhorst & Conradie, 2004:115). Dit bied nie net aan beskuldigdes die geleentheid om sonder ’n skuldigbevinding in die gemeenskap te rehabiliteer nie, maarverlig terselfdertyd die druk op korrektiewe sentra
OUTCOME OF ADOPTIONS: HAVE COUPLES REALISED THEIR DREAM?
Get PDFDespite the wide use and success rate of ART (assisted reproductive technology) such as in vitro fertilisation, artificial insemination with donor seed, gamete donation, embryo transfer and surrogate motherhood, these technologies are not an option for many couples (for technical/biological/financial reasons and ethical/moral objections). As Grinion (2007:134)states: “The irony is that, on the one hand, reproductive technologies offer hope where previously none existed, while on the other hand they introduce a series of complex, expensive, and often morally troubling treatment modalities.” After having contemplated all alternatives from either a moral, ethical, economic or all-encompassing point of view, adoption is often theonly remaining alternative to couples who want a child and live the dream of being a family. South Africa has a long practice and well-researched history of adoption (De Bruyn, 1976; De Bruyn, 1989; De Vos, 1995; Lombard, 1976; Mouton, 1976; Pakati, 1984; Van Delft, 1983)
A COMPARISON OF SUBJECTIVE QUALITY-OF-LIFE INDICATORS ACROSS DOMAINS OF JEWISH SENIORS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY
Get PDFThis paper sets out to describe the comparisons of subjective quality-of-life indicators across domains that enable Jewish older persons – and, in particular, those who are members of Cape Jewish Seniors Association, Milnerton1 – to remain living in their communities. From the outset, and for the purpose of this paper, two concepts need clarification. Firstly, the term “Jewish” pertains to any one who professes to be Jewish either through birthright or religious conversion, and who consider themselves Jewish, irrespective of their frequency of attendance at a place of worship. It also pertains to any person of Hebrew descent (Barnhart & Barnhart, 1987:1132; Lamm in Donin, 1991:8). Secondly, the terms “seniors”, “aged” and “older person” are used interchangeably and will be used to denote people aged 60 and over. The Older Persons Bill, South Africa, defines older persons as women and men aged 60 and 65 respectively ( Ministry for Welfare & Population Development, 2003:3).
SOCIAL WORKERS UNITE AGAINST XENOPHOBIA: PURSUING SOCIAL WORK’S POLITICAL MANDATE
Get PDFSocial work practitioners and social work educators took a strong stance against xenophobia by submitting the following statement to the Minister of Social Development Dr Zola Skweyiya. We are a group of social work educators and social work practitioners representing the following groups: The Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA); African Federation of Social Workers; the Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions (ASASWEI); the National Association of Social Workers, South Africa (NASW, SA) and the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP). We wish to express our outrage at the senseless killing of people in a country where we profess to uphold the dignity of all human beings. We understand that the dynamics and the socio-economic, cultural and political conditions that serve as precursors to such de-humanising conduct are complex. While we understand this, the message that needs to go out to communities is that nothing at all can condone any attack on fellow human beings. We urge all those working in the human services sector and the Government of South Africa to send out a message of zero tolerance for violence. We must actively send out calls for peace and work toward peaceful resolution of conflict and of differences
TAKING A STRATEGIC VIEW
Get PDFThis special issue of Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk appears on the eve of the 34th Congress of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) to be held in Durban, South Africa next month. As the main theme of the Congress is Transcending Global-Local Divides: Challenges for Social Work Education and Practice, this issue is intended to expose our readers to strategic thinking about social welfare issues with articles by some of the conferees as well as prominent researchers and practitioners in South Africa. The special issue introduces researchers’ responses to challenges for social work during a period of socio-economic transformation
THE SCOPE OF FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION: A POVERTY ALLEVIATION TOOL IN SOCIAL WORK?
Get PDFThe reference to financial literacy in the G8 Action Plan drafted at the Sea Island Summit 2004 (Cohen, Stach & McGuinnes, 2004) is a demonstration of the growing awareness worldwide of the importance of promoting financial education, especially in developing countries. This has led to concepts such as financial literacy and financial education creating an interest in research especially by such institutions as banking companies, government agencies and community interest groups (Piprek, Dlamini & Coetzee, 2004). These interest groups and institutions are generally concerned that their consumers lack basic knowledge of financial concepts and do not have the skills they need to make decisions advantageous to their economic well-being (Braunstein & Welch, 2002). Financial literacy is thus globally increasingly viewed as an important requirement for successful functioning in a modern society. This trend suggests that educating people to become financially literate will gradually become even more important worldwide (Sandlant, Harris & Barker, 2005), as people who are financially illiterate and therefore financially vulnerable, are increasingly excluded from the mainstream economy (INSOL International, 2001; Link, Vawser, Downes & Chant, 2004; Noble, Ratcliffe &Wright, 2004; Laderchi, Saith & Stewart, 2006; Finmark Trust, 2007)
CHALLENGES THAT THE REFERRAL SYSTEM POSES TO CARE GIVING AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE KANYE COMMUNITY HOMEBASED CARE (CHBC) PROGRAMME IN BOTSWANA
Get PDFWhile a caregiver is generally a person who volunteers to take care or help in caring for sick persons generally at home, whether family members, relatives or other community members, the study distinguishes between the primary caregiver who usually stays with the clients at all times, and the community caregiver (so referred to as a volunteer in the Botswana context) who is a government-recruited community volunteer and moves from house to house to help the primary caregivers execute their caring roles. The four concepts: sick person, client, patient and HIV/AIDS client/s are used interchangeabl
THEORETICAL CONCERNS IN APPLYING THE DIAGNOSIS OF PTSD TO PERSONS WITH HIV AND AIDS
Get PDFIncreasingly, mental health professionals, including psychologists, counsellors and social workers, are called upon to assist persons living with HIV to negotiate the mental health consequences of their condition. It has been suggested that serious mental health consequences following diagnosis with HIV are likely to occur and that developing countries may be “heading towards a mental health and social disaster” (Freeman, 2004). Freeman (2004) has identified various categories of persons affected by HIV who may experience psychological difficulties, including those recently diagnosed with HIV. Among recently diagnosed persons, it is thought that several psychiatric conditions may ensue, namely major depressive disorder (Gore-Felton, Koopman, Spiegel, Vosvick, Brondino & Winningham, 2006), generalised anxiety disorder (Pence, Miller, Whetten, Eron & GaGaynes, 2006) and posttraumatic stress disorder (Myers & Durvasula, 1999; Martinez, Israelski, Walker & Koopman, 2002; Olley, Zeier, Seedat & Stein, 2005). This article examines some theoretical concerns regarding the viability of a diagnosis of PTSD for persons who have received a diagnosis of HIV in terms of its implications for mental health counselling
FAMILIES OF STREET CHILDREN IN THE TRANSKEI: A DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE
Get PDFIn South Africa, as elsewhere in the world, there is a paucity of literature on families of street children. A recent literature search (on the internet and in other resources) reveals that reasons for this state of affairs are many, some of the main ones being: The tendency on the part of researchers to investigate the “obvious”, in this case the children roaming the streets, instead of viewing the phenomenon in depth, i.e. taking cognisance of the root causes of the problem. Thus, resources that seek to investigate the phenomenon are likely to be misdirected towards addressing the problem after it has occurred, rather than examining its causes. Also, focusing on the phenomenon of street children negates the fact that a child is part of a family and thus can never be rehabilitated in isolation from his family, hence this study to determine the “character” of families of street children. The difficulty researchers have in locating families of these children since the children have de-bonded from their families for a variety of reasons, some of which are: family disorganisation, poverty at home, school-related problems, a breakdown of social networks in the community as well as disillusionment with the existing societal values, hope for an alternative glamorous life-style, to mention just a few (http://web24.epnet.com/citation, 2006; Kuse, 2001). In the Transkei, where this study was conducted, families were “traced” through links with the extended kin who had sheltered the street children after leaving their biological families to fend for themselves. In the present study, the researcher seeks to determine the characteristics of these families with a view to understanding the environment from which the street children come