1,720,980 research outputs found
Cross-border care practices : experiences of Zimbabwean migrant women engaged in care work in households in South Africa
Full text linkThesis (DPhil (Sociology))--University of Pretoria, 2021.The aim of this study is to explore the cross-border migration of Zimbabwean women who undertake various types of care work within the domestic sector in South Africa. The study seeks to understand the female labour migration within the context of global care work. It utilises the global care chain concept, which describes the employment of women and men to provide care in wealthy countries while leaving a care gap in their own families. The specific objectives of the study were as follows:
1. To examine the reasons for care workers’ migration to South Africa.
2. To investigate their work experiences in relation to duties, contractual agreements, hours worked, benefits including leave entitlements, employer-employee relations, and overall working conditions.
3. To examine the perceived macro and meso benefits and costs of the cross-border migration for care workers and the extent to which these impacts affect familial relations in Zimbabwe.
4. To explore the coping mechanisms and strategies employed by migrant care workers in navigating the challenges encountered in the course of their duties.
5. To examine women’s interpretations of their work experiences in relation to their position in society (or their position as migrant care workers in society).
This study drew on two theoretical concepts: social reproduction from a feminist perspective, and transnationalism. Social reproduction places an emphasis on care and describes the activities of maintaining life daily and nurturing future generations. Transnationalism involves migrants maintaining relations in both their home country and the receiving country.
Data was collected through a qualitative research design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants from four domestic worker recruitment agencies and 26 domestic and care workers in two cities, Johannesburg and Pretoria. Both cities are located in Gauteng, one of the nine provinces in South Africa and the country’s economic hub. The cities were chosen based on statistics showing that migrant inflows from outside South Africa were highest in Gauteng.
The leading findings were that Zimbabwean migrant care workers in South Africa faced exploitative working conditions as the majority of them were undocumented or irregular. They faced challenges in obtaining valid work visas due to the stringent immigration policies in South Africa. It emerged that without legal documentation, migrant care workers could not seek employment through formal channels such as recruitment agencies. They used informal channels such as social networks and the ‘market’. The study highlighted that these informal channels were risky and did not offer protection and safety to either the care workers or the employing families. Further, it emerged that migrant care workers were vulnerable to exploitation through poor working conditions that violated labour laws.
The findings highlighted that the benefit of migration for care workers was the opportunity to find employment, which enabled them to become economically active as income earners and financial providers. Through the income they earned, migrant women were able to send remittances in the form of money, groceries, and clothing to their families in Zimbabwe, reflecting transnational care practices. The study revealed that the migration of women was associated with social costs such as the emotional strain resulting from the separation of family members and the extraction of care resources by removing carers from the family.
In light of the transfer of care resources through their migration, migrant women had to make care arrangements to fill the gap. They found suitable caregivers in their extended families. They made use of the information and communication technologies of smart phones to maintain ties with their families.
The overall contribution of the study is that it gathered evidence to show that migrant care workers within the Global South are more vulnerable to exploitation largely due to unregulated migration processes when compared to South-North global care chains. This evidence supports the argument that employment conditions, migration laws and policies, as well as national labour standards can intersect to shape the status and experiences of migrant domestic workers.
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations for policy, practice and future research were made:
Recommendations for policy:
• Introduction of less stringent and affordable visa options for care workers.
• Strengthening of bi-lateral or multi-lateral agreements within Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to allow both the sending and destination countries to establish safeguards to protect the employer and employees.
• Redefinition of domestic and care duties and responsibilities. This entails a distinct classification of roles and responsibilities for workers in this sector in policies and laws to ensure that employees are remunerated accordingly.
• Training of care workers to enhance their skills as well for the protection and security of care recipients and employers in general.
Recommendations for practice:
• There is need to ensure that migrant domestic workers enjoy same labour rights as other workers.
Recommendations for future research:
• Further study could explore the perceptions of employers to understand their motivations and the domestic employment relationship.
• Research that focuses on the experiences of domestic workers from other countries in the SADC region.
• Comparative study of migrant domestic workers and their local counterparts would be useful to understand whether the challenges they face are specific to the sector or are associated with their migrant status.UP Postgraduate Doctoral Research BursarySociologyDPhil (Sociology)Unrestricte
Demographic factors and party preferences in Botswana : a 1999 voters' survey
No full textIn this article, data from a survey conducted in March 1999 by the University of Botswana Democracy Research Project in fifteen constituencies in Botswana is used to examine the relationship between party preference and selected demographic characteristics namely, age, sex, place of residence and education. Bivariate analysis results indicate the ruling BDP is the only party that enjoys higher support among women and among rural dwellers. Opposition parties, on the other hand, have a stronger support base among middle-aged people in the 29-49 years age bracket. The results also indicate that the level of education tends to have a major role in determining party preference. The last section of the article critically discusses these findings
Book Review: Jackie Cochran: Pilot in the Fastest Lane
Full text linkReview of Jackie Cochran: Pilot in the Fastest Lane by Doris L. Ric
Book Review: Global Perspectives on War, Gender and Health: The Sociology and Anthropology of Suffering
Full text linkReview of Global Perspectives on War, Gender and Health: The Sociology and Anthropology of Suffering, Hannah Bradby and Gillian Lewando Hundt, editors
Gender-Based Violence in Zimbabwe: A Critical Analysis of Institutional Responses
Full text linkThesis (PhD (Sociology))--University of Pretoria, 2020.This study sought to analyse institutional responses to gender-based violence (GBV) in the health, justice (police) and education sectors in Zimbabwe against the background of limited research, particularly in developing countries, on the role of multisectoral institutions in addressing GBV.
Guided by the Heise’s ecological model the study aimed to do the following:
Identify the risk factors of GBV in Zimbabwe;
Review institutional responses to GBV in the three sectors, with particular focus on laws and policies, institutional reforms and community mobilisation efforts;
Explore service providers’ and other key stakeholders’ perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of institutional responses aimed at addressing GBV; and
Propose a model for a multisectoral response to GBV in Zimbabwe and other similar Global South contexts.
The mixed methods approach was adopted and specifically the sequential explanatory approach where a quantitative component was followed by a qualitative phase was undertaken. Secondary quantitative data from the 2015 Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey was used to attain the first specific objective, and qualitative data collected in Mt Darwin and Shamva districts was used to achieve the second and third objectives. The data was obtained through key informant interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders in the three sectors as well as through in-depth interviews with GBV survivors. The results from the quantitative and qualitative components were triangulated and informed the overall conclusion of the study and the last specific objective.
The study results show that women and girls in Zimbabwe continue to be exposed to GBV (especially physical, emotional and sexual violence) despite the country having enacted legislation and policies to curb this type of violence. The findings of this research strengthen the established point that the mere existence of legislation does not protect women and girls from GBV. The study established that there is a gap between legislation/policy availability and implementation because of the mediating effects of cultural and religious norms as well as lack of resources. Risk factors for experiencing GBV are alcohol abuse by partner, low levels of education for the survivor, cultural norms, normative use of violence, use of mobile devices and marital status. Institutional response by the three sectors is largely reactive, lack a clearly defined long-term programme to curb GBV and is characterised by a weak coordination between the three sectors. Premised on the biomedical approach, the health sector offers medical treatment to GBV survivors while the police treat GBV as a crime. The education sector take disciplinary measures to those found guilty of perpetrating GBV. These reactive measures do not address the underlying causes of GBV, chief of which are gender discriminatory norms and an unequal balance of power between girls and women and boys and men. The results show that responses to GBV by the three sectors is a function of institutional capacity (availability of resources), officers’ capacity (level of training in GBV issues) and social context (cultural and religious norms that condone violence).
The study makes a number of recommendations to strengthen institutional responses by the three sectors, empower women and improve the implementation of existing laws and policies. These include:
Strengthen the operations of the police stations, schools and primary health care centres through in-service training of personnel;
Ensure that at least one member of the victim-friendly unit is at the front office of any police station since all visitors, including GBV victims, report to this office before being directed to specific offices;
Move from a biomedical approach to a gender sensitive approach to health in the health sector and include GBV issues in public health concerns like HIV/AIDS, sexual, reproductive and mental health; and
In the educational sector, build more classrooms and provide furniture to minimise seating arrangements that expose girls to sexual harassment. Schools must work with communities to warrant the safety of children on their way to and from school.
In addition, the study proposes a three sector model (health, police and education) based on the common understanding of GBV, the use of a common module in the pre- and in-service training and a thrust to prevent GBV before it happens by using community-based strategies and violence prevention committees in schools and primary health centres.SociologyPhD (Sociology)Unrestricte
The influence of Facebook on marital relationships in Zimbabwe : an explanatory study of Gwabalanda community
No full textMini Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2015.This study explored the perceptions of married individuals in Zimbabwe regarding how social
networking, Facebook in particular, influences marital relationships. The specific objective
was the exploration of the major reasons for Facebook usage among married individuals with
the intended aim of establishing its positive and negative influences on marital relationships.
Data collection was by use of in-depth interviews and a semi-structured interview guide.
Purposive sampling and snow balling were used in selecting participants. The sample size,
due to budgetary constraints, consisted of only 16 married individuals from the Gwabalanda
community who had been married for at least two years, had been users of Facebook for
more than a year, and who log in to their Facebook account more than thrice a week. The
sample was categorised into two age groups: those aged 35years and above and those aged
34years and below to explore the views of the older and younger cohorts.
The study found out that Facebook has increasingly become a means of communication in
Zimbabwe; both for the young and the elderly. Married individuals have made use of the site
for various reasons among which the following are included: it is efficient, cheaper,
convenient and reliable even for business and job purposes. However, major findings of the
study suggested that many married people were of the view that Facebook has more negative
influence on marital relationships. Facebook is resented for having made it easier for married
people to connect with different people and for some to re-connect with ex-lovers thereby
resulting in issues of infidelity amongst partners. As partners spend more time online,
feelings of jealousy are invoked leading to creation of tensions. It was also revealed that the
use of Facebook has resulted in conflicts due to lack of trust due to partner surveillance
amongst married partners. The study also showed that Facebook has some positive influence
in that it has allowed people far from each other to remain connected and to maintain
relationships online. It has also given a platform for marriage discussion forums where
married individuals discuss marital problems and advice one another.
The study concludes with a number of recommendations for further study including further
study on the dimensions for the increased use of Facebook in Zimbabwe and an exploration
of the socio-economic and demographic profile of users. It argued that the answers to these
and under similar questions can help contribute to the overall study of family sociology in
terms of factors that contribute, or have the potential to lead, to marital instability.SociologyMSocSciUnrestricte
South African youth education and career aspirations before and after covid-19
Full text linkMini Dissertation (MSocSci (Sociology))--University of Pretoria, 2022.This study explored the experiences and investigated the extent to which the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the education and career aspirations of young people in South Africa, with particular focus on Soshanguve, a township north of Pretoria. Conceptually guided by the developing and achieving aspirations framework, the study specifically aimed to:
– explore the education and career aspirations of young people in South Africa before the Covid 19 pandemic;
– understand the main factors underlying the pre-Covid-19 education and career aspirations;
– explore the extent to which the Covid-19 has changed young people’s education and career aspirations; and
– recommend ways in which future youth employment interventions can incorporate youth aspirations.
To achieve its objectives, the study adopted a qualitative research design and collected data from 20 young men and women who were either in high school or were transitioning to a university or tertiary institution during the height of Covid-19. The data was collected using in-depth interviews and a semi-structured interview guide. Snowball sampling was used as a sampling procedure for this study which allowed respondents to provide information not only about themselves but also give referrals about other participants who meet the requirements of the study. with the referrals from the respondents, it was easy to find subjects for the study.
The overall finding and conclusion of the study is that even though the Covid-19 pandemic brought about uncertainties in young people’s lives their pre-Covid education and career aspirations remain. Most respondents still want to pursue tertiary education and embark on various careers. Respondents who want to be entrepreneurs believe they must first get academic knowledge from tertiary institutions to build a solid foundation for their businesses. While it emerged that structural constraints, family, community, and social values greatly influence young people’s education and career aspirations, the general consensus among young people is that there is a need for government to financially and practically support them to ensure that youth aspirations are attended in the post-pandemic period.
Based on this overall study finding, the following recommendations were made for policy, practice, and further research.
– The government should provide necessary skills, support, and funds to improve young people’s access to tertiary education including vocational education where they can learn various skills.
– Skills centres should be established in resource-strained communities such as Soshanguve to enhance youth aspirations as well as to equip the youth of South Africa with important skills that are relevant in the current labour market.
– There should be regular career exhibitions or workshops by government, the private sector, and community-based organisations to expose young people to different fields and to equip them with any information they might need to decide on the careers they want to pursue.
– Platforms should be created to allow successful community members to regularly encourage or motivate young people through talks, or workshops which will empower young people.
– Given the paucity of research on youth aspirations especially in communities of low socio-economic status, a much larger study ideally using a mixed method approach is recommended.SociologyMSocSci (Sociology)Unrestricte
Cohabitation in Botswana: An Alternative or a Prelude
Full text linkGiven the recent increase in the prevalence of cohabiting unions in Botswana, this paper speculates on the role this type of union plays in contemporary Botswana family system. The analysis is based on the combination of qualitative and quantitative data from the 2001 Cohabitation Survey and the 1996 Botswana Family Health Survey respectively. The overall results reveal that cohabitation differs from marriage in terms of socio-legal status and the reproductive behaviour of women in cohabiting unions. The paper further presents evidence that, of the three common interpretations of cohabitation - an alternative to marriage, a temporary phase before marriage and an alternative to being single - cohabitation in Botswana can be viewed as a temporary phase before marriage. Against this evidence, the paper concludes that while the increasing prevalence of cohabitation does not threaten the institution of marriage in Botswana, it results in delays in timing of marriage.
Cohabitation in Botswana: An Alternative or a Prelude to Marriage?
No full textGiven the recent increase in the prevalence of cohabiting unions in Botswana, this paper speculates on the role this type of union plays in contemporary Botswana family system. The analysis is based on the combination of qualitative and quantitative dat
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