Browsing by Author "Cohen, Morris"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Enhancing participation through rural self-help structures in KwaZulu - the case of a bureaucratic public institution
    (1987) Ndlovu, Baby E C; Cohen, Morris
    This paper attempts to explore, analyse and evaluate the aided self-help organizations in rural KwaZulu for their potential role as structures for enhancing people participation. The objective was to generate policy guidelines for agencies involved in participative development programmes in rural Third World environments - particularly the large public institutions. It selects two sectors, the co-operative development and the school committee systems as models. The study, which uses a combination of data gathering methods and ideographic descriptions starts by looking into the possible constrain and facilitators of participation within the agency structure itself and narrows down to the situation at the field level in a selected case study. The main problems in the KwaZulu bureaucracy are first, the absence of clearly defined operational policies that link the front line services and the community on the one hand, and the policy goals and the mission of the agency and the front line field practitioners on the other hand. There is also a general lack of consistency between the mission of the agency and the contents of the personnel appraisal and evaluation tools and processes and hence – lack of commitment to goals and/or goals' displacement. At the field level, some valuable components of the system were found. Important among these are the effectiveness of the community programmes in developing the innovativeness and initiative spirit among the members of the communities. These resulted in a shift in power relationships from the promoters to the community. Also valuable is the feeling of satisfaction derived from practical and material involvement in the development of public goods by the community. The rural communities are also capable of generating their own effective co-ordinative and communication systems and reject strategies introduced from outside to replace them. Although the financial capacity appears to be a major constraint, the community does not view it as a priority. Control seems to be correlating with payment and therefore, ownership. However, there is a need for “hard aid” to increase the community organizations economic and social capacity to perform. There are also some serious intangible costs intrinsic in the present methods of granting aid. Instead of closing the regional, inter-district and inter-family development gaps, they tend to perpetuate the problem. This is caused by equal access to aid by all areas and also the tying of aid with ability to generate own resources. Strategies are finally recommended to improve the situation. These relate to facilitating communication within the agency and the upgrading of communities through information motivation, and allowing them additional roles and status.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    The pattern, frequency and suitability of informal day care provision for pre-school children in Khayelitsha
    (1986) Lines, Linda Rosalind; Cohen, Morris
    The study was designed to investigate the structure and function of informal day care provision for pre-school children in Khayelitsha, but the inquiry succeeded in generating information beyond the original assignment. Data was gathered from interviews with active in the day care field and from local agencies meetings with residents in Khayelitsha, as well as from a field study carried out in Khayelitsha. A review of international and local literature was also undertaken. A brief history of black settlement in the Western Cape and an examination of their socio-cultural environment provided the necessary backdrop for the study. The field study involved systematic selection of 200 houses in Khayelitsha. Respondents completed a questionnaire administered by the investigator. The questionnaire furnished information on the use of day care and produced a profile of day carers and the services they offered. A similar questionnaire was used to collect information from the pre-school centre. Analysis of the data revealed that child rearing practices differed from those of technologically advanced societies, but they were not deficient! The findings demonstrated that parents preferred day care in the home setting to that of the school setting. The pattern of day care services accentuates the importance of mutual aid and kinship and social networks in the community. Day care arrangements tended to be stable and were provided predominantly by relatives, friends and neighbours. The frequency with which day care services were required, corresponded to the work commitments of the parents, and usually involved overnight care. The pre-school centre operated during the weekdays from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm, with after-school care frequently undertaken by older siblings. The findings reveal that day carers function as surrogate mothers and incorporate the children into their families. The data collected with regard to suitability of the service offered, relates to physical needs, emotional needs, discipline and promoting readiness for the future, and emphasizes the universal poverty that abounds in the area, but simultaneously highlights the importance of traditions and the resourcefulness of the people in transcending the culture of poverty and providing an enriching environment for the children. The recommendations draw attention to the need for finance, training and supportive services, but recognises the justified resistance of the community to initiatives from the State.