Browsing by Department "Department of Social Development"
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- ItemOpen AccessA Capability Approach to Examining the Effects of Actual and Anticipated Fear of Crime: Experiences and Perceptions of Black Female Youth in the Cape Flats(2020) Beiser, Sarina; Kubeka, AlvinaThe purpose of this study was to examine how the fear of crime affects the capabilities, perceptions and experiences of black female youth, living in the Cape Flats, Cape Town. Qualitative semi structured interviews were conducted with 18 black female participants between the ages of 18 to 30. This study used Garofalo's model of fear of crime and Amartya Sen's capability approach as theoretical frameworks. With the help of these two frameworks, the researcher sought to gauge what influence the fear of crime can have on people's lives and how crime affects young black females living in communities with high crime rates. It also showed how their life choices and opportunities are influenced by living in unsafe communities. The major challenges and problems highlighted by the participants include: Constant trauma of their daily life (leaving their houses, random shootings, unsafe public transport), mental health issues (losing friends and relatives), lack of proper police service (lack of police presence, incompetence of police, corruption), fear for family or friends, lack of trust and support systems (broken families, loss of trust, no role models, lack of social capital), lack of infrastructure (such as safe hospitals or educational challenges), the effects of gangsterism (gangs and drug wars, effects of drugs, families' or friend's involvement in gangsterism) and the lack of opportunities such as unemployment. This study showed how the peoples' capabilities have been affected by the above-mentioned issues and how the fear of crime affected their daily lives. This study also made recommendations for policy makers and social institutions on what can be done to reduce crime rates and make communities with high crime rates safer
- ItemOpen AccessA capability approach to examining the experiences and perceptions of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) among homeless women in Cape Town(2021) Mhlongo, Ayanda; Kubeka, KhosiHomeless women face many challenges. They lack adequate housing and financial support and are confronted with the daunting challenge of securing sanitary products when menstruating (Parrillo and Feller, 2017). Menstruation is a crucial part of women's sexual and reproductive health (Reams, 2001). It is a significant biological experience that signifies a woman's transition from childhood to womanhood (Reams, 2001). For homeless women, purchasing menstrual products is an unreasonable financial burden (BRAWS, 2018). Homeless women end up using items such as rags, old socks, tissue paper, paper towels, torn pieces of clothing, or diapers to satisfy their menstrual needs (Mason et al., 2013). Often, homeless women go without menstrual protection altogether (Mason et al., 2013). This lack results in period poverty. Period poverty refers to a lack of sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, hand-washing facilities, and/or waste management (Sanchez and Rodriguez, 2019). Period poverty manifests in the absence of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM). MHM is a term used to refer to menstruating females having absorbents to absorb or collect blood that can be changed in privacy as many times as required, having soap and water to wash the body, and having facilities to dispose the used menstrual management materials (Sommer and Sahin, 2013). The purpose of the research study was to qualitatively explore the experiences and perceptions of period poverty among homeless women in Cape Town (South Africa) using the capability approach. As a result, the study was guided by a qualitative research design. Nonprobability sampling was used in recruiting participants. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 homeless women who experienced period poverty and received assistance from two organisations in Cape Town. The findings revealed that homeless women experience period poverty due to a lack of sanitary products and poor MHM. One of key challenges faced by the participants was that they do not have access to an adequate supply of water when having their period. Participants would then make use of dam, water under the bridge, public toilets or make use of a bucket in order keep clean during their period. This affected the confidence of the participants, making them feel inadequate. As a result, they developed unhealthy behaviours to survive the harsh realities of being homeless. This made them vulnerable to different forms of violence and affected their perception of the opportunities they believed they had access to. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that addressing period poverty amongst homeless women requires multifaceted policies and responses. Furthermore, there needs to be intense support from all stakeholders so that the issue of period poverty amongst homeless women is addressed as a wider public-health initiative. The financial burden of sanitary products should be eliminated across the globe. Essentially, free menstrual products should be made available to all menstruating individuals, including homeless women.
- ItemOpen AccessA Capability Approach to Understanding the Intersections between Language, Educational Opportunities, and Identity in South Africa: A Xhosa Speaking Youth Perspective(2021) Gonthier, Oceane; Kubeka, KhosiThe education system is a source of language discrimination and exclusion for many young people in South Africa. In South Africa, African languages are spoken by more than 70% of the population, while the colonial languages English and Afrikaans represent less than 25%. However, most South African schools use English or Afrikaans as the main language of instruction. Learners' transitioning to using and learning in a colonial language, and the role languages plays in youth education and development are the root cause of many challenges, including poor academic performance, unequal access to opportunity, social exclusion, and challenging identity formation. This qualitative study aimed to explore the intersection between language, educational opportunities, and identity from an isiXhosa speaking youth perspective in Cape Town, Western Cape. In depth individual interviews were conducted with 12 black African Xhosa youth, between the ages of 18 and 29. The researcher sought to examine the effects of the language challenges faced by isiXhosa speaking youth during their education journey and to gauge the perspective of isiXhosa speaking youth regarding the role of language in their academic performance, opportunities, and social identity. The researcher adopted the following three concepts as a framework for analysis: Sen's capability approach (1999), social identity theory by Tajfel and Turner (1979), and Soudien's work on language in post-apartheid education (2012). This study was important in order The findings revealed that participants faced various challenges in relation to language use in education, specifically transitioning to English as the main medium of instruction. The participants' experiences differed depending on the age at which they transitioned to using English in the education system, but the outcomes of this transition were similar. Their academic performance was negatively impacted by needing to learn in a different language. They had unequal opportunities throughout their education compared with native English speakers, putting them at higher risk of social exclusion and impacting negatively their access to higher education and employment. The participants' advocated for the need to decolonise education, specifically in regard to perceptions and use of languages, because of the prejudices and judgments based on their ability to speak English rather than their actual skills and capabilities. Participants tended to compare languages and look down on isiXhosa, then facing identity crises when returning to their Xhosa families. They had to navigate multiple identities depending on the language and context in which they found themselves. This study recommended reducing inequities by implementing inclusive language policies and measures to accommodate learners with non-colonial first languages, provide support through their transition to a new language, and not weighting incorrect English against them in non-English class. The recommendations also included the need to adapt national exams and grading systems to ensure all learners' have the opportunity to perform to their best ability. The government must also increase its investment in South African languages to promote their use in professional and public spaces. Finally, institutions must be encouraged to use multiple languages in schools, universities, and workplaces.
- ItemOpen AccessA phenomenology study of clinicians' perspectives on dissociation while working with traumatised children in the South African context.(2023) Van, Der Walt Ruth; Addinall, RonaldThe statics of children experiencing trauma is extremely high in South Africa, with the expectation of 1 in 3 children experiencing sexual abuse before eighteen years of age. Trauma is defined as experiences which overwhelm the internal resources of a child and changes their perception of their lives and environment. Dissociation is a protective mechanism functioning to shield the conscious from trauma by preventing the processing of these experiences. The researcher was interested in whether dissociation is a phenomenon which is present in children living in South Africa who have a history of trauma. To determine this, the researcher applied a qualitative approach and phenomenological design to the research. The researcher used a purposive sample of sixteen clinicians practicing in the Western Cape metropole, to determine whether dissociation is present and how it appears in children who have a history of trauma. The findings showed that dissociation was found to be present in children who have experienced trauma living in the Western Cape metropole. Furthermore, the data indicated that between 60 and 80% of children who had experienced trauma present with dissociation. The dissociative symptoms and features identified were misbehaviour and daydreaming. Predisposing and precipitating factors were found to be risk factors for the development of dissociation after a trauma is experienced. These factors were the younger the child when the trauma happened the more likely the development of dissociation. Secondly, the type of trauma experienced and a disorganised attachment style with the caregiver. A protective factor identified was the presence of a secure attachment between the child and caregiver before trauma is experienced. The therapeutic treatment of dissociation was described as holistic in nature by involving the child's caregivers. The main therapy used by the participants with children who present with dissociation were based on play therapy techniques and recreating a sense of safety for the child needs to be a primary goal of treatment. Recommendations for further study was given due to the impression of limited understanding and knowledge of dissociation. The findings emphasised the importance of the caregiver being involved in the therapeutic process and therefore it is recommended that clinicians who render therapeutic services to children include the caregivers in the therapeutic process. The data showed that trauma informed polices and interventions need to be developed to further assist children who have a history of trauma and present with dissociation.
- ItemOpen AccessA qualitative assessment on the impact of the youth development programme of the Chrysalis Academy in Cape Town on the lives of past participants(2019) Davids, Thandiwe; Abdullah, SomayaYouth unemployment and crime is a serious problem in South Africa. Young people form the majority of the South African population (Barrar, 2010) and as future leaders and decision makers, it is vitally important to focus on youth and their future prospects. It is for this reason that this study examines youth development in the context of South Africa’s young democracy. This research explored the experiences of young people who had completed a skills training programme at the Chrysalis Academy in Cape Town. Chrysalis Academy is an initiative of the Western Cape Provincial Government. The programme was developed to address crime in poor communities as a preventative measure rather than a rehabilitative one; it aimed to provide skills training to youth to enable them to obtain employment in the hope of preventing their engagement with a life of crime, gangsterism, and drug and alcohol abuse.This study was based on a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design and therefore in depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 past students who had graduated from the academy within the past five years. The findings of the research showed that the Chrysalis programme was unique in many respects. Its approach and subject matter as well as the learning techniques offered were different to those many of the participants had previously encountered. The programme offered the students valuable knowledge and skills, which they were able to utilize in their lives after the completion of the programme. There were, however, limitations identified in the programme and recommendations in response to these limitations are made at the conclusion of this paper.
- ItemOpen AccessA qualitative exploration of blackness among black South African university students(2018) Albert, Wanelisa Geraldin; Kubeka, AlvinaSince the fall of Apartheid, the new mandate of the democratic South African government has been to provide equal quality education for all and to desegregate the education system in South Africa. The desegregation of tertiary education afforded Black students the opportunity to navigate different campuses with vast institutional origins and cultures. This qualitative study aimed to explore Black students' experiences of Blackness while navigating two university campuses in the Western Cape. Drawing upon Black Consciousness and Double Consciousness as the theoretical frameworks, this study examined the experiences and perceptions of Blackness of 20 Black male and female students from two Universities in the Western Cape Province. The aim was to gauge the participants’ sense and understanding of Blackness and how it is shaped and reshaped as they navigate the university space. First, the findings revealed that that Black students exhibited racial pride and ascribed positive traits to Blackness. The students were proud to be Black and asserted that Black people had a good work ethic. Students reported that being Black afforded them an opportunity to change their socio-economic circumstances and improve their communities. Second, Black students who navigated historically White neighbourhoods, schools and university experienced South Africa as untransformed and unequal. On the other hand, Black students who navigated historically Black neighbourhoods, who went to historically Black schools and who attended a majority Black University viewed South Africa as a Rainbow Nation. Black students who attended a historically White university had a heightened sense of Blackness and experienced marginalisation within the university context compared to the Black students who went to a majority Black university Third, universities are not neutral spaces and their historical origins characterise their institutional cultures and the academy. Black students who attended the university founded during colonialism reported that the campus had colonial symbolism and the culture of the university favoured White students. The students reported that the curriculum was Eurocentric and needed to be decolonized. Fourth, Blackness is shaped and reshaped differently on university campuses. Students who went to a majority Black university expressed they were in the majority and the university was a comfortable environment. Black students at both universities experienced racial discrimination and alienation from White and/or Coloured academic staff. Despite progressive policies, this study revealed that much more work need still needs to be done to right the wrongs of the past.
- ItemOpen AccessA qualitative exploration of the factors affecting the capabilities and integration of Algerian immigrants into French society(2022) Thiollet, Albane; Abdullah, SomayaImmigration to Europe from many parts of Africa and the Middle East has intensified over the past years. It highlights the need for these populations to integrate into new cultures and countries. This study explores the factors affecting the capabilities and integration of Algerian immigrants into French society. The Northern suburbs of Marseille, an area where large communities of Algerians live, was selected as the study area. A sample of 14 individuals from different households who had been in France for at least a year were purposely selected to participate. The capabilities and social exclusion approaches were used to understand the experience of Algerian immigrants as a result of their being foreigners in a new country. The findings revealed that Algerian migrants experienced several deprivations related to money and finances, safety, social contact with other citizens, and jobs. This situation has a negative impact on their life choices and opportunities as well as their social integration. Effective provision of support and social assistance is needed, as well as a reflection about immigration in France to facilitate the integration of immigrants into French society.
- ItemOpen AccessA Qualitative Exploration of the Personal, Schooling and Structural Factors Contributing to High School Learner Dropout in Philippi(2019) Vushe, Lovemore; Kubeka, KhosiThis study, "A qualitative exploration of the personal, schooling and structural factors contributing to high school learner dropout in Philippi” was carried out on a sample of fifteen young people who dropped out of school in Philippi, a township in Cape Town in the Western Cape. Guided by the research questions that sought to explore participants’ own views on the issue, an exploratory qualitative approach was used. A research sample of thirteen females and two males who dropped out of secondary school before completing grade 12 in Philippi was chosen using a snow balling sampling method. The study used a semi-structured interview schedule for face to face interviews with the school dropouts. The findings revealed that learners in Philippi drop out due to a combination of factors personal, schooling and structural. Personal factors like struggling academically, personal negative views on the importance of education, grade repetition shame, teen pregnancy, delinquent behaviour and alcohol and substance abuse contributed to learners’ decisions to quit school before matriculating. School factors included overcrowded classrooms, poorly trained teachers, lack of learning materials and associated poor educational quality, long distances to school and the unsafe learning environments in which some schools were viewed as gang battle grounds also contributed to participants’ decisions to quit school. Structural factors, barriers beyond learners’ control, also contributed to the high learner dropout. These included social, cultural, and economic circumstances. Social factors included lack of social and educational support at home. Participants stated that they dropped out of school because their parents did not encourage and motivate them to complete Matric, did not actively support their academic life and failed to provide the necessary resources and support to ensure they remained focused. Some participants left school in order to respond to cultural issues that needed their attention. Cultural practices like forced marriages, responding to calls to be a traditional healer and behavioral changes emanating from traditional male circumcision created subjective norms and expectations that were not in line with academic progression. Economically, the learners ‘poor financial backgrounds presented an unfair disadvantage in which both absolute and relative poverty strongly influenced their decisions to drop out. Without school uniforms, food and transport fares, some participants opted to drop off in order to look for employment or self sustenance. Recommendations targeted at different stakeholders at different levels to address this early school dropout problem are also discussed. Some recommendations targeted the youths’ attitudes themselves in order to address some personal or individual characteristics, whilst others focused on schools improvement and policies that address existing structural causes. More parental involvement in learners’ educational matters, greater social workers contribution, infrastructure development in poor schools in Philippi, strategic partnerships among civil sector, government departments, parents and schools as well as enhanced teacher support constitute part of the recommendations.
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- ItemOpen Access“A study of the reading practices of parents with young children in Mitchell’s Plain.”(2019) Lister, Katherine; Atmore, EricThis study “A study of the reading practices of parents with young children in Mitchell’s Plain” was conducted through a sample of five early childhood development (ECD) centres in Mitchell’s Plain. The study adopted a sequential transformative mixed method research design. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select the five ECD centres and from that sample convenience sampling was used to select the interview participants. The quantitative data comprised of 137 completed questionnaires and the qualitative data was collected through 14 face-to-face interviews. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to guide the faceto-face interviews. Main findings: While 99% of parents felt that reading with children is important only 7% of respondents report reading with their children on a daily basis. Parents are aware of the importance and developmental benefits of reading, but do not seem to be making the time to read frequently. Overall, only 30% of respondents are reading once a week or more with their children. A statistically significant correlation between reading frequency and number of readers was found as well as frequency of library visits and reading frequency. Most of the respondents (64%) reported having between one and ten books at home while there were 8% who do not have a single book at home. No statistically significant correlation was found between number of books or parental education and reading frequency. The barriers that are preventing parents from reading with their children were found to be a lack of time, financial, environmental and personal challenges as well as libraries not being open on the weekend. Alliteracy and a lack of personal motivation to read was also found to be a barrier to book sharing. Very few parents of the participants interviewed had heard of or been involved with literacy organisations but past experiences with reading seemed to have a positive influence on their current reading practices. Main recommendations: ECD centres are uniquely placed to be able to inform, encourage and monitor frequent book sharing. ECD centres should therefore be trained in the importance of early book sharing and in turn provide training and support for their parents. Furthermore, if ECD centres were equipped with libraries that parents who found accessing the local library a challenge they would be able to offer parents an invaluable resource. Investing in local libraries so that they are able to offer extended operating hours on the weekend and more resources for children under five years old is also recommended. Parenting programmes in various forms are also recommended to provide parents with the information and support needed to encourage frequent book sharing
- ItemOpen AccessA systematic approach to the formulation of an organisation structure and process of management for the municipality of Milnerton(1987) Hollis-Turner, Trevor Norman; Schrire, Robert A
- ItemOpen AccessAbsent fathers and their impact on role confusion among adolescent males(1994) Eastwood, Joan Elizabeth; Smith, Patrick J DThis study is an exploration of theoretical propositions and their integration with a clinical illustration in order to facilitate an understanding of the universal role of the good-enough father in the psychic development of the child. The premise underlying this study rests on the theoretical object relations framework of Margaret Mahler (197 4), extended by Abelin (1971, 1975), and taken into the phase of adolescence by Blas (1967,1985,1991), which provides a solid, clinical basis for understanding the dynamics of the separation-individuation process. This theoretical basis is expanded by an understanding of analytical psychology, providing the Jungian perspective on individuation, which is encapsulated in the archetypal themes of union, separation, and the capacity to sustain the tension of opposites. As a synthesis of these conceptual frameworks, the writer adopts the propositions put forward by Seligman (1986) that the absent father causes the child to remain enmeshed with the mother. Without a father's emotional support, it becomes almost insurmountably difficult for a child to negotiate the unavoidable separation from the mother, a prerequisite for the confirmation of his identity and the establishment of an autonomous lifestyle. As a treatment modality, Seligman (1986) further proposes that the analyst be "used" by the client's unconscious psyche to build up a live paternal presence within, a symbolic reinstatement of the father image, necessary for the crucial completion of the separation-individuation process. With the re-emergence of the father image, thus enabling a reconciliation of the inner parents, the mother can gradually be relinquished. Those aspects of the client's personality which had been committed to a real or imaginary "oneness" with the mother, and were thus unavailable for the enrichment of his own life, are restored to him, making him more "alive". The illustrative case study demonstrates this therapeutic approach with an adolescent boy who experienced father absence and presented in clinical social work practice with the symptomology of role confusion I individuation avoidance.
- ItemOpen AccessAbuse suffered by selected elderly persons prior to admission to an old age home(2002) Mashamba, Iris; Graser, RolandElder abuse is one of the major problems in South Africa. Elderly people are being abused by their family members, children and members of their communities This problem remains hidden in that most cases are not reported to the officials, and if they are reported, officials are doing little or nothing about them. Although the communities are trying to address the issue, due to underreporting it is very difficult to determine the actual number of the elderly who are being abused daily . Traditionally, the young generation is expected to respect their elderly people, whether they know them or not. However, nowadays it appears that little respect is shown to the elderly. Instead they are often being financially robbed, physically attacked, sexually abused and emotionally threatened. As a result they move to old age institutions or places of safety for safety and security. This paper focuses on those elderly who suffered abuse in their families and communities. The study is conducted in an institution for the elderly. The abused elderly are encouraged to talk about what happened to them and who their abusers are, with the aim of finding out what brought them into an institution. The findings of this research were obtained through focus group and in-depth individual interviews. Access to the institution was given at St. Monica's Home and seven elderly persons, which is 50% of the residents, were interviewed. The same persons participated in both the in-depth individual and focus group interviews as a form of primary data collection. Information was elicited in the form of a focus group discussion and interviews with individuals. The results of this paper indicate that: a) Family and community members are sometimes guilty of abusing the elderly. b) Elderly persons have lost trust in reporting their problems to officials, especially the police. c) The elderly prefer to be at the institution than to be at home, where they were abused by their 'loved' ones. d) Society has, to a large extent, lost traditional and cultural values in respect of caring for the elderly. e) There is a lack of knowledge among people regarding resources that could assist elderly people with their problems. The research results show that there are elderly persons who move to institutions for the aged for safety and security, not because they prefer living there. However, one cannot generalize the findings of the study, as it covered only a small number of persons, and is, therefore, not representative of the elderly in general. The study focused on one institution with a limited population, as it had fourteen elderly people.
- ItemOpen AccessAccess to housing in Cape Town : do young people move smoothly from parental housing to independent living arrangements?(2010) Chisonga, Nixon; Seekings, JeremyMost international and local (South African) research on housing examine housing tenure in terms of static categories, - i.e. does someone own or rent their accommodation - without capturing either the dynamics of how people occupy housing or the complexities that arise when, for example, someone might rent accommodation while owning a house elsewhere. Most censuses and surveys simply ask whether the household living in a sampled house (or apartment, etc) currently rents or owns that house. I find access to housing to be a better analytical category than tenure arguing that renting and owner occupier housing are not exclusive categories, and can co-exist, and that additional categories should be identified.
- ItemOpen AccessAddressing unemployment in the Western Cape, South Africa one community at a time : a case study of a public-private-civil society partnership(2007) Kok, Catherine; De Wet, JacquesIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 101-107).
- ItemOpen AccessAdministrasie in die maatskaplike werk met besondere verwysing na vier funksies in bestuur, naamlik beplanning, organisasie, leidinggewing en beheer, soos toegepas in drie geselekteerde projekte(1983) Du Toit, Vlokkie; Helm, BrunhildeDie studie is deur 'n beroepsmaatskaplike werker onderneem en spruit uit haar praktiese ervaring in Wes-Kaap. Die tydperk van die studie strek vanaf 1980 tot die begin van 1983. Dit beskryf drie maatskaplikewerkprojekte. Die skryfster gaan van die hipotese uit dat die sukses van 'n maatskaplikewerk-projek in 'n groot mate afhang van doelgerigte administrasie daarvan. Die studieveld is dus maatskaplikewerk-administrasie. Vier bestuursfunksies, naamlik beplanning, organisasie, leidinggewing en kontrole (of beheer) word uitgesonder as aanduidend of maatskaplikewerk-administrasie geslaagd is al dan nie. Die "bestuur" van die drie projekte word beskryf en beoordeel volgens hierdie vier bestuursfunksies. Die gevallestudiemetode word gebruik; elkeen van die drie projekte word as 'n geval beskou. Die beperkinge van die studie word uitgewys; 'n literatuurstudie word aangebied; Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing, wat op die projek betrekking het, word bespreek; die drie projekte self word seriatim beskryf en geëvalueer. Die slothoofstuk gaan oor bevindings en gevolgtrekkings, ook met verwysing na die etiese beginsels van die maatskaplikewerkberoep.
- ItemOpen AccessAdolescents' perceptions of sexual wellbeing(2022) Olsson, Emeli; Addinall, RonaldThis study explored adolescents' personal understanding of sexual wellbeing among young people aged 16-19 in Langa, Cape Town. The study further explored the participants' understanding of possible promoting and inhibiting factors to sexual wellbeing in their interpersonal and societal context. Twenty participants were selected using purposive sampling. In depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions. The data was analysed using qualitative research methods. The study revealed the complex nature of sexual wellbeing and how adolescents understand sexual wellbeing in a multi-faceted sense from individual, interpersonal, and societal levels. The most prominent factors of sexual wellbeing on an individual level were identified as maturity, sexual self-concept, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual experience. On an interpersonal level the participants identified safer sex practices and consent as important factors of sexual wellbeing. From a societal level, different forms of sexuality knowledge and to be free from discrimination were emphasised. The findings further revealed factors that may promote or inhibit sexual wellbeing in the participants' interpersonal and societal context. The participants identified that communication about sex and sexuality in the family had the potential to promote or inhibit sexual wellbeing. Peer pressure, school sexuality education, and how facilitators at their after-school activity approach sex and sexuality discussions could influence the participants' perceptions of sexual wellbeing. The participants further found that their communities and different forms of media had the potential to influence sexual wellbeing in adolescence. The participants did not perceive themselves as having sexual wellbeing at the moment but discussed several promoting strategies for sexual wellbeing. The participants argued for the importance of positive and supportive communication in their households, and the researcher recommended to further investigate strategies to support caregivers in this role. The participants recommend an improvement of school sexuality education and sexuality information provided at their after-school activities. The researcher supported this recommendation by suggesting comprehensive sexuality education in schools and after-school activities, together with further research into sex-positive approaches to prevention programmes and promoting sexual wellbeing in adolescence.
- ItemOpen AccessAdoption : parents' perceptions of facilitating factors and challenges in the development of the relationship with their baby(2016) Henwood, Penelope; Williams, FatimaThe study explored the experiences of parents around their adoption process and relationship-building with their babies. It considered their motivation to adopt and their expectations of what that would entail. Challenges and facilitating factors were examined with regards to how their relationship with their child, rarely new born when placed, grew and developed. The study used Ecological and Attachment theories as theoretical frameworks. This research was conducted using a qualitative research design. Twenty participants (ten adoptive couples) were selected using purposive sampling by an adoption agency and interviewed from a semi-structured interview schedule. Each interview was recorded using a Dictaphone and transcribed by the researcher. Data was thereafter analysed using qualitative methods, specifically analytic induction and open coding. The findings of this study highlighted the complexities of the non-normative transition to adoptive parenthood necessary for many who expected to become parents naturally. The stressors involved include micro and macro preferences for biological kin, fears of not being able to love a child not born to oneself and insecurity around the child returning to their biological parents. It was found that the screening process played a valuable role in lessening these fears, creating support structures and working through loss related to infertility.
- ItemOpen AccessAdoption reunion : reclaiming the lost object : a psychoanalytic and object relations approach to understanding the adoptee's experience of reunion with the birth mother(2002) Scordilis, Morag; Becker, LilyThis study explores the adoptee's desire for, and experience of reunion with the birth mother, from within a Psychoanalytic framework, and with an emphasis upon the Object Relations Theory perspective. Adoption reunion may be considered to be an attempt on the part of the adoptee to reclaim the lost object. There are numerous international studies on different aspects of adoption, however, South African studies are sparse. This study seeks to unite the dialectic of the clinical practitioner and adoption practitioner in order to provide a rich and meaningful understanding of post adoption practitioner in order to provide a rich and meaningful understanding of post adoption reunion in South Africa. The study is conducted from 'Within a non-probability framework and is an empirical ethnographic study with a predominantly qualitative, inductive approach, which is exploratory and descriptive in nature. The quantitative research provides width to the in-depth, qualitative data and takes the form of a content analysis. The qualitative aspect of the study employs an in-depth, face- to- face, unstructured interviewing technique, followed by an interview schedule. This approach enables the researcher to enter the world of the adoptee and render it understandable through providing an ''insider" view of the personal narratives and experiences of the subjects. The qualitative sample is comprised of 8 adult adoptees, who experienced face-to-face reunion with the birth mother, while the quantitative sample is comprised of 207 contacts named in the post adoption register of Cape Town Child Welfare between 1989 and i995. The conclusion drawn from the study is that the adoptee's desire for reunion is a health -promoting process which may be motivat0d by both external, social factors as well as intra-psychic forces; the latter resulting from the interruption of early psychic processes. Reunion is seen to be a response to these forces and enables adoptees to establish a mom coherent and integrated sense of Self, and to place themselves within an historical and biological narrative. Adoptees, whilst seeking to reclaim the lost object, do so as a means of reclaiming and completing the Self, the development of which was disturbed as a result of premature Interruption of the primary infant-mother bond. it is further concluded that the value of reunion is not synonymous with the success or outcome of reunion or of the adoption, that the majority of reunion comics are discontinued, and that a negative adoption experience is not more likely to result in the adoptee seeking reunion. Furthermore, reunion constitutes a form of retrospective mourning, which sets the adoptee free to relinquish ties to the lost object and to reclaim Self.
- ItemOpen AccessAgents of restorative justice? Probation officers in the child justice system(Institute For Security Studies, 2008-09) Gxubane, ThulaneProbation officers, like generic social workers, have been and continue to be implementers rather than generators of social policies. Yet, probation officers have an important role to play in transforming the child justice system as they are central to the administration of child justice. This article argues that the Child Justice Bill (B49 of 2002) needs to be aligned with other pieces of legislation and policies that reflect a developmental approach and response to crime. The developmental approach will not only maximise the opportunities for meaningful interventions that could translate into prevention of crime and recidivism among young offenders, but will also have long-term benefits for the young offenders, their victims and society in general.