Rinie Schenck

PROBLEMS RURAL SOCIAL WORKERS EXPERIENCE

The research was an exploratory study of the views and experiences of 45 social workers related to their work and working conditions in rural communities This article describes the research results around aspects regarding problems that social workers experience when working in rural communities e.g problems of the rural community that the social worker needs to attend to and problems the social workers experience connected to their work situation in rural areas. It is hoped that this study will bring about an awareness and concern for the rural people and rural social workers who have to take up the challenges

The socio-economic realities of the social work students of the University of South Africa

When a tertiary institution such as the University of South Africa (Unisa) agrees to offer training for a profession such as social work, it accepts the responsibility of educating students according to the minimum standards of the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree as registered at the South African National Qualification Framework (NQF). These requirements include a body of knowledge, required practical skills and the values and ethics of the profession. Social work is a profession which focuses on people and their socio-economic context. It is regulated by its professional Council, the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP), which expects the training institutions to deliver a certain quality of professional who can work together with troubled and marginalised people, facilitate processes with groups and communities in order to meet their basic needs, and improve their livelihoods, based on the principles of respect for people, social justice and equality. The training of social workers in South Africa is also largely determined by the South African context and the policies that guide the type of service delivery, e.g. the South African Constitution, Bill of Rights (Act 108 of 1996) and the developmental approach to welfare, i.e. the White Paper for Social Welfare (RSA, 1997). According to Van Delft (2002), the White Paper for Social Welfare (1997) and the Financing Policy (1999) changed the face of social welfare in South Africa from a residual model to a developmental model. Within the South African context, the focus of service delivery is aimed at the poor and unemployed, those with HIV/Aids, those that have been affected by crime and violence, pregnant teenagers, malnutrition, low levels of literacy and education, abuse and neglect, poor housing and public health, women and children, people with disabilities and the aged.

CHALLENGES RELATED TO WORKING CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED BY SOCIAL WORKERS PRACTISING IN RURAL AREAS

Subsequent to the research conducted by Schenck (2003, 2004) describing problems that rural social workers experience and to contemporary reports in the printed media echoing similar sentiments, the researchers decided to embark on a research project aimed at revisiting and exploring the challenges related to working conditions experienced by social workers practising in rural areas. Thirty-two rural areas were engaged in this study. The findings indicated that the status quo on the subject of the working condition-related challenges and the problems experienced by social workers practising in rural areas remains and that the mentioned challenges seem to be specifically related to context, service organisation and clients.

ENABLING FACTORS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF WASTE PICKERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

The paper reports on a systematic review research process to determine the enabling factors for waste pickers to operate in the informal economy in South Africa. Twenty-eight South African journal articles, theses and position and policy papers were sourced and appraised. The results indicate that recognition of the waste pickers in the waste system is the most enabling factor for them to operate. The concept of recognition is analysed, described and explained as assisting waste pickers to become more visible, having a voice and to be validated.

TRAUMA IS THE "STEALING OF MY SENSE OF BEING ME": A PERSON-CENTRED PERSPECTIVE ON TRAUMA

Exposure to trauma has always been part of human existence (Marsella, Friedman & Spain, 1996). Extreme stress has been depicted by authors throughout the ages. In Homer’s Odyssey (4 000 years ago) and Shakespeare’s Henry VI (1591), for example, portray post-traumatic stress reactions to war (Wade, 2009). In 1993 the American Psychiatric Association (APA) defined trauma in the Third Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM III) as a catastrophic stressor that would evoke significant symptoms of stress in most people. Trauma was thought to be “a rare and overwhelming event, generally outside the range of usual human experiences” (APA, 2000:467). Events that fitted this definition of trauma included rape, assault, incarceration, military combat, accidents and domestic violence. After many debates about the concept of trauma, the definition was changed in the DSM IV to focus not on the event(cause) itself, but on the person’s response(effect) to the event or the symptoms the person showed after the event (APA, 2000; Wade, 2009). The APA acknowledged that people give different meanings to events and therefore not all seemingly traumatic events are experienced as traumatic by all people. The DSM IV constructed criteria or symptoms for the condition “post-traumatic stress disorder” (PTSD) to describe the condition in the following way: “The person experienced, witnessed or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self and others” (APA, 2000:467). This definition excludes other events that are not life threatening. The person’s symptoms, according the DSM IV, could include intense fear, helplessness or horror (APA, 2000:467). This would imply that events such as the destruction of one’s home, or a threat to life, would qualify as being traumatic, but divorce or illness would not qualify if physical threats were not present (Norris, 1992).

Relational aspects of family functioning and family satisfaction with a sample of families in the Western Cape

Family functioning may affect how satisfied family members are within the family. This study assessed the relational aspects between family functioning and family satisfaction with a conveniently sampled group of families. This study applied a quantitative methodology with a cross-sectional correlational design. The sample consisted of 204 participants (57% females, 50% Black Africans and 39% speaking isiXhosa). The average age was 31 years (SD=11.07). The results suggest that families could be at risk in terms of family functioning and this predicted being satisfied with the family. Implications for social work practice are provided.

“IF A PERSON USES ALCOHOL THE REAL YOU COMES OUT”: EXPLORING THE SELF, SEXUAL EXPERIENCES AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

The article aims to describe the role substances play in relation to the experiences of the self and sexual behaviour of the substance users, which may be of significance for the rehabilitation process. Based on Carl Rogers’s person-centred approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a voluntary sample of seven participants in a treatment centre in Pretoria, South Africa. The findings suggest that the use of substances assists the individual in relieving psychological tensions and to experience euphoric sexual encounters in the process in a way that is congruent with the self-perception. These aspects needs to be taken into consideration in the treatment regimen

WHAT HAPPENS DURING THOSE LONG HOURS NEXT TO THE ROAD? AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THREE INFORMAL DAY LABOUR HIRING SITES IN TSHWANE

Valenzuela (2002) calls people who congregate at informal pick-up points to seek for work for the day, by the hour or for a specific job, day labourers and the pick-up points hiring sites. These hiring sites are described as open-air geographical locations, such as street corners, pavements, car parking lots and factory gates (Blaauw, 2010), where day labourers seek employment (Valenzuela, 2003). Day labourers and the hiring sites appear to be a growing feature in South Africa and in many parts of the world. For example, in Japan in 1998 the number of day labourers who gathered at hiring sites was estimated to be as high as 1.26 million and in the USA the number of day labourers doubled from 1995, being estimated at 117 000 in 2004 (Gill, 2001:2; Grow, 2003:5; Louw, 2007:99).

THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC REALITY OF BEING A DAY LABOURER IN PRETORIA1

Day labourers are workers who wait on street corners or in other public places for opportunities to work. They are individuals who work for different employers and get paid on a daily basis. Because they are excluded from the formal labour market, these workers often work for different employers each day, are paid in cash, and do not enjoy benefits such as health insurance and unemployment benefits. It is mainly the employers who benefit from this relationship. They do not have many commitments towards these workers and use them only when work is available

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF NGOS ON THE WELL-BEING OF EXTENDED HOUSEHOLDS IN SOWETO

Extended households, usually in the form of an elder or grandparent, have always provided a safety net for orphaned children. However, the high rates of HIV (AIDS) infection, unemployment and poverty have weakened their capacity to fulfil this vital role.The majority of extended households live in poverty and, therefore, lack sufficient resources to care for these children. In addition to receiving government social grants, some extended households are also receiving financial and non-financial assistance from local non-governmental organisations (NGOs). These local NGOs provide basic needs such as food, clothes and medical care to orphans living in extended family units. Little has been done to quantify their economic impact. This paper, therefore, investigates the economic impact of NGOs in improving the well-being of vulnerable orphaned children living in extended households in Soweto. Using Foster, Greer and Thorbecke’s (FGT) poverty indices, we found that the help of NGOs was statistically significant in reducing the level and extent of poverty in such dwellings. The results of FGT are supported by those of the logit econometric model.