Browsing by Author "Tshabalala, Mandla"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    A critical analysis of preschool educare in South Africa : towards effective provision for the preschool child
    (1989) Atmore, Eric; Tshabalala, Mandla
    This study is a critical analysis of educare policy in South Africa with recommendations towards effective provision for the preschool child. The need for a radically revised policy, structure and provision system is based on the inadequacies, inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the present system. A quantitative descriptive research design is used in which use is made predominantly of secondary data and field experience of the writer. Data collection was hindered by the lack of information available and the reluctance of certain authorities to provide information as requested. The historical development of educare in South Africa is outlined. Legislation which, impacts on educare is recorded and the present education and care policies and structures are described. The extent of educare provision is quantified focusing on who is provided for and who is not. Gil's (1981) framework for Analysis and Synthesis of Social Policies is used in analysing educare policy within the Social Planning and Administration paradigm. The study contends that there is no clear unitary discernible educare policy in existence and this has resulted in fragmented structures controlling educare in this country. Particular attention is made to the ideological and value underpinnings of educare policy, structure and provision. The result is an array of services which are uncoordinated and inadequate in terms of the need and demand. The study concludes by making recommendations aimed at eliminating the inadequacies highlighted. A radically revised educare policy is proposed. A three-tier structure with defined responsibilities and functions at each level is suggested. It is the writers belief that implementation of these recommendations will contribute to the solution of problems faced in the educare field today.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    An exploration into the counselling needs of battered women : a feminist perspective for clinical social work practice
    (1990) Angless, Teresa M; Isaacs, Gordon; Tshabalala, Mandla
    Despite the severity and extent of battering, the experiences of battered women remain largely hidden and unacknowledged due to the privacy of the family and the relative unimportance accorded women in a sexist society where male dominance and control are sanctioned. This study attempts to break some of the silence surrounding the problems and experiences of battered women with a view to influencing clinical practice. Battering is situated within its social, historical and theoretical context offering a feminist analysis to provide most clarity on this complex issue. Battering is regarded as one form of extensive male violence against women, and viewed as an extension of behaviour and roles supported and encouraged by the dominant culture. The sample consisted of nine battered women drawn from the case-loads of counsellors who are members of the Coordinated Action for Battered Women group. A feminist methodology which attempts to do research for women rather than on women, was adhered to. Within this the experiences of women themselves are sought to elucidate the general position and experience of women thereby allowing the personal/individual to be connected with political/collective spheres. The research was conducted in the form of a literature search followed by holding individual in-depth interviews with open-ended questions to elicit qualitative data on the women's relationships, their experiences of violence, and their experiences of helping agents. From the transcribed interviews common themes and trends· were drawn out, highlighting the difficulties facing battered women and thereby signifying the complex psychological and practical factors which may keep women trapped in violent relationships. The women's stories therefore serve to indicate issues which clinicians need to consider in their work with battered women. Findings indicate that clinicians need to have a thorough knowledge of the complexities of battering, the effects on women, the resources available and that their role of advocate and change-agent be amplified since socio-legal and economic forces prove the major constraints to battered women. Recommendations for training and increased resources are therefore made. Feminist therapy is advocated as the most appropriate for battered women since its principles and tenets embrace issues such as power, domination, gender, social change and consciousness which are fundamental to an adequate analysis of battering.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    An identification and analysis of management styles in private social work organizations in the greater Cape Town area
    (1994) Isaacs, Nadia; Tshabalala, Mandla
    Thirteen social work organizations participated in the study, with questionnaires being distributed to 237 managers and social workers through organization internal mail, conventional postage, and group administration depending on the preference of the organization. The overall response rate was 54.43%. The results revealed that the statistical 5/5 or opportunist management style is most prevalent within the social worker and management samples. This style is essentially a situational approach to managing and indicates that the manager's primary motivation is that of self-interest. In the social worker sample, another significant feature was the prominence of the 1/1 or impoverished management profile which characterises managers as being indifferent, apathetic and bureaucratic. An analysis of the profiles of both the opportunist and 1/1 managerial styles indicate that these managers employ autocratic practices toward workers. The predominance of the opportunist and the 1/1 styles confirm the results of the open-ended questionnaires which reveal autocratic management styles as being predominant. The element of autocratic control therefore emerges as a significant feature of management style within social work management. The conclusions drawn from this study are that social work managers need to change their orientations which are motivated primarily by self-interest and characterised by autocratic practices, toward a 9/9 approach which encompasses the principles of teamwork, participation, change and innovation which are needed within a South African democratic and developmental context of practice.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    An investigation into Kwa Mashu Family and Child Welfare Society as it interacts with other organisations in the provisions of welfare services
    (1992) Gulube, Thokozile Maureen; Tshabalala, Mandla; Nghatsane, David M
    The study investigates Kwa Mashu Family and Child Welfare Society, a welfare organization providing child welfare services to the community of Kwa Mashu. This organization interacts with other organizations that serve the interests of the child. The study investigates the Kwa Mashu Family and Child Welfare Society as it interacts with other organizations in the provision of Child Welfare Services. The study was motivated by the earnest desire of the organization to find out from the community of Kwa Mashu how the latter views the society in the midst of changing circumstances within the Township. The study is descriptive and exploratory, it explores and describes the child welfare field. It addresses the development of this field and demonstrates how the political priorities affected child welfare provision in South Africa. The study also gives a brief profile of Kwa Mashu Township in which the society operates. In the analysis of Kwa Mashu Family and Child Welfare Society special attention is given to the structure of the organization and the channels of communication within the organization and between the organization and the community. The study investigates the views and opinions of 50 community organizations operating within Kwa Mashu. The study discovered that these organizations had a variety of views about Kwa Mashu Family and Child Welfare Society. The major discovery was that although the community organizations are aware of Kwa Mashu Family and Child Welfare Society they are unaware of the services offered.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Life skills for adolescence : evaluative research on the Quest programme
    (1995) Sliedrecht, Susan Beverley; Tshabalala, Mandla
    The Quest Life Skills for Adolescence is a two-year programme, for Standard 6 and 7 pupils. The goal of the programme is to assist adolescents to effectively manage the life tasks associated with the adolescent years. The programme is school based consisting of eight modules, each module dealing with a different subject. The method of instruction, as with most life skills programmes, is participatory learning as opposed to didactic teaching. This pilot-study was based at the Sentinel High School in Hout Bay. The study evaluates whether module one and two of the Quest Life Skills programme achieved their objectives. The second purpose was to devise an evaluation tool that could be used by other schools to evaluate modules one and two of the Quest programme. A multifaceted study design was adopted in the evaluation process. The instruments used were questionnaires, group discussions, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (1965) and a game. The results reveal that module one of the programme did enable pupils to gain a better understanding of adolescence. Pupils were, however, not totally conversant with the four aspects of change that would take place in adolescence namely physical, emotional, social and intellectual change. They seemed more familiar with the changes that would take place in the physical and emotional realms than in the intellectual and social realms. The findings confirmed that a safe supportive environment, conducive to learning, had been established. Module two of the programme dealt with self-confidence/self-esteem. The self-esteem of participant's, in the Quest programme, increased marginally, but the results yielded showed that a statistically significant improvement did not take place when compared with the comparative group. Participants reported that the programme was of great benefit to them. It was the first time for the majority of the participants that they had been exposed to life skills training. Based on the above findings, an evaluation package was compiled, for schools to use, to evaluate the effectiveness of the first two modules of the Quest programme.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    The natural family and residential care : a study of the psychosocial impact on statutory child removals on the natural parents
    (1994) Samakosky, Sidney; Tshabalala, Mandla
    This study examines the experiences of 12 parents at a Children's Home, whose children were removed from their custody in terms of the Child Care Act. Act 74/83, and placed into residential care. The statutory removal of children from the custody of their parents is defined as a traumatic event with an active shaming component. It is hypothesised that such trauma results in high levels of stress and that the respondents will meet the criteria for a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress syndrome or a Traumatic Stress reaction. An associated hypothesis is that such a trauma leads to a severe blow to the Self of the Parent, resulting in either fragmentation, enfeeblement, or self-depletion. Characteristic affects will be strong feelings of shame and humiliation related to the placement. This blow to the sense of Self will be associated with a rage response to that self-injury which does not necessarily result in the total breakdown of the cohesion of the Self. A second hypothesis is that the psychosocial need pattern of the parents will reflect a high level of concern with self-esteem and social belonging, safety and security and self-actualisation. The experiences of these parents and their responses to the research hypotheses can best be understood and made sense of within a conceptual framework that facilitates an understanding of the Self, and how it responds to the impact of a trauma that is characterised by an active shaming component.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Social change and Bredasdorp
    (1988) Meyer, Salomé Jeanette; Tshabalala, Mandla
    The purpose of this study is to ascertain the effects of the Overberg Test and Evaluation Facility on a rural town. Bredasdorp, the town in question, up until the announcement of the proposed Overberg Test and Evaluation Facility had developed historically on the basis of the natural needs and requirements of a rural community. Bredasdorp thus, provided services and facilities for its and the surrounding population as a natural growth point and service-centre for complimentary economic activities - mainly of an agricultural nature. The introduction of the Overberg Test and Evaluation Facility impacted on the functioning of this local farming community. This study traces this social change on the various systems operating in the community. Specifically, this study looks on the areas of economic and social change as a result of demographic change in a community. It was hoped that the introduction of the Overberg Test and Evaluation Facility would have long-term influences on the character, make-up and functioning of Bredasdorp as a rural town. In-depth interviews were held with 30 old and new inhabitants of Bredasdorp to determine their attitudes with regard to the project as primary data. Documents such as census reports, Municipal and town planning reports, education related statistics, the Hey Committe report as well as official documents from Armscor were utilized for secondary data. Findings indicate that Bredasdorp experienced a demographic growth as a result of the introduction of the Overberg Test and Evaluation Facility. This demographic growth had a trickle-down effect on the infrastructure such as water reticulation, sewerage, housing, schools, business and community facilities. Adjustments were made by the various systems involved in the change process in order to accommodate the demographic change positively. The economic/militaristic development project at Bredasdorp can be seen as a positive influence on Bredasdorp and environs.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    A study of child labour with regard to Black newspaper vendors in the Cape Peninsula
    (1989) Moerat, Fuad; Tshabalala, Mandla
    The study was designed to investigate child labour with particular regard to Black newsvendors in the Cape Peninsula. Data was gathered from interviews with local organisations active in the field of child labour and the employment conditions of newsvendors, as well as a field study carried out in the Cape Peninsula. A review of local and international literature was also undertaken. A brief account of child labour in the Western Cape is given which provided the necessary backdrop to the study. The field study involved in-depth interviews with 52 Black newsvendors in the Cape Peninsula. This comprised interviews with the first available four newsvendors in each of the 13 areas in the Cape Peninsula in which newspapers are sold by vendors. Respondents completed an interview schedule administered by the researcher. The interview schedule furnished information on the employment conditions of newsvendors, their role as wage-earners, their education and training, their safety, health and welfare. Analysis of the data revealed that the majority of newsvendors worked as child labourers under deplorable working conditions. The findings demonstrated that young Black newsvendors comprised a pool of cheap and exploited labour. Their exploitation is evident in their deprivation of family life, of reasonable working hours, of time to pursue social and leisure interests as children, of a negotiated wage, of favourable working conditions, of dignity, of the acknowledgement of the value of their labour, of legal protection, of membership in an effective worker organisation, of further acquisition of knowledge and skills, of opportunities and scope for advancement. The findings reveal that young Black newsvendors work under conditions detrimental to their health, safety and welfare. Many young Black newsvendors who sell newspapers in the early hours of the morning often start to work without breakfast. They spend a considerable amount of time on the streets without any rest periods, leading to irregular mealtimes, while many survive on food of inferior nutritional value. These young newsvendors have to survive in occupational circumstances where robberies and assaults frequently occur. In these circumstances the peer group begins to play an important role. Young newsvendors are often induced to succumb to the influences of co-workers. The newsvendors in this study also expressed a deep sense of hopelessness and despondency about their own lives. Any prospects of a better future are seriously curtailed by the lack of formal education and industrial skills. The majority of the newsvendors said that they enjoyed going to school but had to leave in order to support the family income. The recommendations draw attention to the need for the improvement of working conditions, training and supportive services, but recognises that this is only possible once newsvendors are organised in an effective worker organisation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Towards a model for social welfare policy formulation in KwaZulu
    (1988) Neku, Ruby Junior Ntombinini; Tshabalala, Mandla
    The study set out to establish the extent to which the needs of Community's were taken into consideration in the formulation of Social Welfare Policy. The Structure in the Government service is such that Policy's are formulated by top management. Top management in the Government Service is constituted by the Ministry. When the KwaZulu Legislative Assembly sits the Minister at one of these sessions delivers the policy speech. This policy is disseminated to the Community through the Department's Secretary by the Civil Servants. As Social Workers are concerned in their delivery of Social Welfare Services about minimising problematic situations, the study will examine the role played by Social Workers in the formulation of Social Welfare Policy. The involvement of Social Workers in policy formulation is seen as a helpful tool in enabling them to play the advocacy role. Their contribution would enable the policy formulation to have an idea about issues that policy must address.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Worker participation within the human service context
    (1992) Petersen, Vivian Patrick; Tshabalala, Mandla
    This study analyses participation of workers within two human service organisations, within the education field in the Western Cape. It also examines the reasons, degrees and levels of participation as well as the impact it has on individual workers and the organisations as a whole. The case study method was used with the major research techniques being observation, unstructured interviews and the analysis of primary sources of information such as, documentation. A stratified random sample of sixteen workers were selected for interviewing. The data was analysed on the basis of the literature review and placed within the context of relevant theoretical perspectives of democracy, bureaucracy and management science. It was found that both organisations made use of participatory methods in organising themselves. However, the reasons, degree and conditions facilitating it differed considerably, despite the fact that the levels of participation were similar. The study concludes, with a reflection on the processes required to achieve greater participation within the organisations studied and human service organisations in general.