Social casework : an afrocentric perspective
| dc.contributor.advisor | Green, S. | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Thabede, Dumisani Gaylord | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2012-08-27T11:33:25Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2012-08-27T11:33:25Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2005-03 | en |
| dc.description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Of the three primary methods of intervention in social work - casework, group work and community work - the focus of this study is on social casework. Every country structures its own model of casework practice and this model is determined by the social conditions and the diversity of ethnic groups and their specific cultures. For any social work intervention to be effective it must incorporate the cultural elements and nuances that influence the life of the people in a given country. In South Africa the implementation of the western paradigm of casework normally leaves out of account the dynamics of African culture. Consequently, current practice in social casework will have need to undergo a fundamental paradigm shift in order to address the needs of clients in a culturally sensitive way. The problem that this study will address, therefore, is the lack of sensitivity to African culture in the practice of social casework. Not surprisingly, research on the indigenization of casework in South Africa is meagre. This study attempts to contribute to the scientific inquiry about indigenizing casework theory and practice in South Africa. The aim of this study is to present an Afrocentric perspective on the method of social casework that will provide guidelines for practice in African communities in South Africa. To achieve this aim, four objectives are pursued: to describe casework within the context of the history of social work; to identify cultural elements that are essential to practice casework with African clients; to determine to what extent social caseworkers are culturally sensitive; and to investigate how far social caseworkers are equipped to render services to African clients. An exploratory study which is qualitative in nature was conducted. The phenomenological research strategy was used where the researcher, through in-depth interviews with respondents, developed insight into the experiences of social workers with regard to their practice of casework with African clients. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten respondents who were social workers employed either by the state or by private welfare organizations in the Limpopo Province. The findings of the study are that social work training does not adequately prepare social workers to practice casework effectively with African clients. Indeed, social workers practising casework are not always culturally competent. Guidelines to be considered when practising casework with African clients are presented, and ways are suggested of how social workers can achieve cultural competence in service rendering to African clients. For social casework to succeed in South Africa, it is crucial that caseworkers acknowledge the existence of the African worldview, which is profoundly informed by African culture, and also incorporate the implications of this worldview in their casework framework of practice with African clients. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Van die drie primêre intervensiemetodes in maatskaplike werk - gevallewerk, groepwerk en gemeenskapswerk, is die fokus van die studie op gevallewerk. Elke land stel sy eie model vir die beoefening van gevallewerk saam en die model sal afhang van die sosiale toestande en die diversiteit van etniese groepe en hulle spesifieke kulture. Vir maatskaplike werk intervensie om effektief te wees moet die kultuur elemente en nuanses wat die lewe van mense in 'n bepaalde land beïnvloed, in ag geneem word. In Suid-Afrika neem die implementering van die westerse paradigma van gevallewerk normaalweg nie die dinamika van die Afrikakultuur in ag nie. Gevolglik moet die huidige beoefening van gevallewerk in Suid-Afrika 'n fundamentele paradigma skuif ondergaan ten einde die behoeftes van kliënte in 'n kultuur sensitiewe manier aan te spreek. Die probleem wat hierdie studie derhalwe sal ondersoek is die gebrek aan sensitiwiteit vir die Afrika kultuur in die beoefening van gevallewerk. Dit is ook nie verbasend dat navorsing oor die verinheemsing van gevallewerk in Suid-Afrika gebrekkig is nie. Die studie beoog om 'n bydrae te lewer tot die wetenskaplike ondersoek van die verinheemsing van gevallewerk teorie en praktyk in Suid-Afrika. Daar bestaan 'n dringende behoefte om gevallewerk benaderings en prosesse te kontekstualiseer en te verheems ten einde sensitief te wees vir en te reageer op die sosiale realiteite wat die meeste Suid-Afrikaners ervaar. Die doel van die studie is om 'n Afrosentriese perspektief van die gevallewerk metode van maatskaplike werk, wat riglyne sal verskaf vir die beoefening van gevallewerk in Afrika gemeenskappe in Suid-Afrika, aan te bied. Om dit te bereik is vier doelwitte vir die studie gestel: om gevallewerk binne die konteks van die geskiedenis van maatskaplike werk te beskryf; om die kultuur elemente wat essensieel is vir die beoefening van gevallewerk met Afrika kliënte, te identifiseer; om by gevallewerkers vas te stel tot watter mate hulle toegerus is om kultuur sensitief te wees en om die mate waarin gevallewerkers bevoeg is om dienste en Afrika kliënte te lewer, te ondersoek. 'n Verkennende studie wat kwalitatief van aard is, is onderneem. Die fenomenologiese strategie is gebruik waartydens die navorser met behulp van in-diepte onderhoude met respondente insig ontwikkel het in die ervarings van maatskaplike werkers in die beoefening van gevallewerk met Afrika kliënte. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met tien respondente wat maatskaplike werkers in diens van óf die staat óf privaat welsynsorganisasies in die Limpopo Provinsie is, is gevoer. Die bevindinge van die studie is dat maatskaplikewerk-opleiding maatskaplike werkers nie voldoende voorberei om gevallewerk met Afrika kliënte effektief te beoefen nie. Inderdaad is maatskaplike werkers wat gevallewerk beoefen nie altyd kultuur sensitief nie. Riglyne wat oorweeg kan word vir die beoefening van gevallewerk met Afrika kliënte word aangebied en maniere waarop kulturele kompetensie bereik kan word in dienslewering aan Afrika kliënte word voorgestel. Vir maatskaplike werk om suksesvol te wees in Suid-Afrika is dit kardinaal dat gevallewerkers erkenning sal verleen aan die bestaan van 'n Afrika wêreldbeskouing wat hoofsaaklik ontleen is aan die Afrikakultuur en dat die implikasies van hierdie wêreldbeskouing vir hulle deel sal maak van hulle gevallewerk praktyk raamwerk met Afrika kliënte. | af_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | vii, 216 p. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50450 | en |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Social service -- South Africa -- Cross-cultural studies | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Cross-cultural counseling -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Blacks -- Counseling of -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertations -- Social work | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Theses -- Social work | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Social casework : an afrocentric perspective | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |
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