Hermanus Strydom

TRIANGULATION IN SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH: THE THEORY AND EXAMPLES OF ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATION

The social work researcher is often faced with the daunting task of having to analyse complex phenomena and systems or relationships without the luxury of an abundant supply of resources, time and standardised measuring instruments. A typical response has been attempts to follow either the qualitative or quantitative research routes stringently, only to find that the final result did not meet scientific requirements. This has necessitated a rethink of the predominant way in which social work research is conducted in South Africa and to find a route that would meet both the demands of science and accommodate the constraints of research practice. One such route is the use of triangulation

AN ADAPTED INTERVENTION RESEARCH MODEL: SUGGESTIONS FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

The various existing models of intervention research all have advantages and disadvantages. Postgraduate students, and especially doctoral students in Social Work, have on many occasions expressed their dilemma in choosing a specific model of research for intervention procedures. Therefore, many have used the intervention research model or the developmental research and utilisation model, while others have adapted these models to suit their specific research endeavours. After making a careful study of these two models, an adapted intervention research model will be suggested for use in studies of a combined research and practice nature.

Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of older men regarding HIV and AIDS in South Africa

This article reports on a study done with older men who are affected in many ways by HIV and Aids. The aim of the study was to ascertain the level of knowledge among older men about HIV and Aids, and to what extent daily living has been influenced by the disease. An exploratory design was used for the study, with in-depth interviewing to gain a rich combination of qualitative and quantitative data. Besides providing certain demographic information, participants were interviewed on the impact of general illness in their community, and the impact of HIV and Aids specifically on the individual, the household and the community.

Profiel en betrokkenheid van afgetrede vrywilligers by n nie-winsgewende organisasie

In hierdie artikel word daar gefokus op die betrokkenheid van afgetrede vrywilligers by ʼn spesifieke nie-winsgewende organisasie, naamlik die Potchefstroom Dienssentrum vir Bejaardes. Daar word gepoog om ʼn profiel van afgetrede vrywilligers van hierdie organisasie saam te stel, die terreine waarop hulle betrokke is, te ondersoek, asook om die mate van verantwoordelikheid te bepaal wat hulle bereid is om te aanvaar. Die verwagtinge wat vrywilligers van die organisasie koester en die betekenis van vrywillige werk vir die afgetrede vrywilliger self, word ook ondersoek.

A PROFILE OF ADOLESCENTS IN HOUSEHOLDS INFECTED WITH, OR AFFECTED BY, HIV AND AIDS

This article will focus on a profile of adolescents’ households infected with, or affected by, HIV and AIDS. A comprehensive needs assessment by way of a structured schedule was completed by means of in-depth interviewing. Interviews were conducted with 169 households in two provinces of South Africa and included two black ethnic groups and a coloured group. To draw up the profile issues such as demographic data, number of members of households, main caregiver, child-headed household, school attendance, health and wellbeing, employment, receiving of grants, total household income, death of parents and family members, and bereavement counselling were covered

The psychological implications of the closing of a mine for workers and their families

This article arose from a project which was launched on behalf of the Labour Union Solidarity after the interim liquidation and immediate closing of the Durban Roodepoort Deep (DRD) Gold Mine at Stilfontein. This mining community was also traumatized by an earthquake shortly before the closing of the mine. The process commenced on 27 April 2005, when a contract was drawn up with Solidarity’s Helping Hand Fund to do a psychosocial situation analysis among the community. Based on the results of the psychosocial situation analysis, a project plan was submitted to Solidarity, after which a formal agreement was reached between the two parties and a meeting with the representatives of the labour union was held. Following this, the plan of action was proposed, the facilitators trained and the programme implemented. The data of the psychosocial situation analysis, the contents and course of the group sessions as well as the results that ensued from the questionnaire that was filled in by the women during the women’s day as well as certain strengths present in the community are discussed. This is followed by an integrated discussion of the investigation. A number of recommendations are also made for the future.

TOWARDS A SOCIAL NICHE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT

From a social work perspective, individual outcomes are the results of a transactional process between personal and environmental influences. It is a long-cherished conviction in Social Work that individual problems and successes must be framed within the larger context of family, community and society (Saleebey, 2002c:231). However, it is also a conviction that is often not reflected in social work practice (Rose, 2000:405; Saleebey, 2002c:230; Weick, 2000:398). Clinical practice tends to focus on personal factors, and community practice on environmental factors, while the transactional dimension is often not accounted for. The tendency is also to focus on deficits and problems in these systems and not on strengths or potential strengths.

DIE REALITEIT VAN DIE PRAKTYK: EISE EN UITDAGINGS WAT DIE BEGINNERSPRAKTYK AAN MAATSKAPLIKE WERKERS STEL

Die oorgang van universiteitstudent tot werknemer in die praktyk impliseer ’n transformasie-proses, ’n metamorfose wat bepaalde eise en uitdagings aan jong volwassenes stel. Dit is veral jong professionele persone soos maatskaplike werkers wat met hierdie eise gekonfronteer word wanneer hulle die praktyk met idealistiese, dikwels onrealistiese, verwagtinge betree. Trans-formasie is ’n konsep wat op verskeie maniere geinterpreteer en gedefinieer kan word, maar die omskrywing van transformasie as gedaanteverwisseling is die fokus in hierdie artikel wat handel oor die eise en uitdagings wat die beginnerspraktyk aan maatskaplike werkers stel. Dit handel oor die oorgang tussen student-wees en professionele werknemer en hoe hierdie pro-sesse binne die tersiere instellings, welsynsorganisasies en binne die individu gefasiliteer word.

THE SPENDING PATTERNS OF THE OLD-AGE PENSION BY THE FRAIL ELDERLY

A specific old-age home in a semi-urban area of South Africa delivers certain community outreach services besides the services to the inmates of the old-age home. A team of registered nurses have been delivering these home-care services since 2002, including physical care, a meal service and a transport service to clinics and hospitals. The profile of the elderly persons living in this specific community shows that they are mostly women, black and very poor. While rendering services to the aged persons in the community, staff members realised that especially the frail aged have very little finances to spend on their own keeping, although they all receive an old-age pension. This raised the question of possible neglect and financial abuse by their caregivers and other people, which in turn led to this specific research project. This article reports on an attempt to investigate the housing circumstances and the financial position of the participants, as well as determining whether they could account for their expenditure, the items that the pension was spent on, the point of payment of the pension, the accompanying person and the manner in which withdrawal of money took place. Furthermore, the investigation included whether participants cared for children, topics of interest for grandparents caring for children, and the physical appearance of participants

The social work research module(s) from a social welfare perspective

A once-off qualitative questionnaire was sent via e-mail to the social work various training institutions in South Africa. Various topics were covered in the empirical study and as far as possible theoretical substantiation of the findings were integrated with the findings. Topics such as the views of the lecturers and the students on the importance of the research module(s), number of credits allotted to the research module(s), the level of presentation, the limitations/challenges experienced in the operationalising of the research module(s), the link between the theoretical and empirical parts of the module(s), the various study units, and whether students do their research projects individually, in pairs or in groups were covered in this questionnaire.