Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

According to Lombard and Kruger (2009), the status of older persons has not changed considerably despite the promulgation of the Older Persons Act in 2005 and the adoption of the South African Policy for Older Persons in 2006. The researcher attempted to contribute to a better understanding of the problematic status of older persons through an exploratory study of institutional arrangements involved in the implementation of the policy using a case study approach. The network theory was used as a guiding theoretical framework. Findings from the study indicate a randomly related network affected by lack of robust, efficient and effective leadership and co-ordination. Formalization of network membership through written rules and a constitution that spells out the roles and responsibilities of network members, and continued interaction amongst network members is suggested to strengthen the network and the leadership. It is the conviction of the researcher that strengthening of the network will improve the implementation of the South African Policy on Older Persons, thereby improving the lives of older people.

Teenage pregnancy in the United States is a national concern because of negative outcomes for teen mothers and their children of teen mothers. There is ample research on the negative outcomes associated with teen pregnancy: however, there is little research on the success of teenage mothers. This transcendental, phenomenological study examined how former teenage mothers overcame challenges of teen pregnancy to become financially independent adults. The research question for this study was: What factors enabled former teen mothers to overcome challenges of teen pregnancy to become financially independent adults? Principles from social learning theory and resilience theory provided the conceptual framework. Fifteen women who were teenage mothers participated in the study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a demographic questionnaire. Coliazzi's 7- step process was used analyze the data. Key findings showed the following: family support and government assistance enabled the women to continue their education and achieve financial independence; most fathers were supportive during the child's first year, but the support subsided as the relationship between the parents dissolved; the women received little support from their communities or from the educational system. Findings from this study make in important contribution to the literature by taking a strengths-based approach to document the success of teenage mothers. One recommendation is that human services professionals should advocate for stronger support systems for teen mothers because results from this study revealed that good support systems for teenage mothers will enable them to become stronger pillars of society, thus making a positive social change.

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Licentiate thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

The aim of this thesis has been to explore the interrelationship between elderly people and information. A case-study approach was adopted which examined whether the information needs of elderly people (consumers) in relation to community care had, in their perception. been addressed by the Information Strategy developed by the Social Services Department of one shire county (providers) in response to the Community Care Act 1990 to provide information about its services and how to access them. Two key findings emerge from the research. Firstly, elderly people's information needs in relation to community care have not been addressed by the Information Strategy. Secondly, the Strategy has encountered a number of implementation problems, namely communication difficulties, interagency issues and the gatekeeping role of frontline staff in information provision. The findings from the thesis suggest that a Community Care Information Strategy should be based on three key elements. It should acknowledge that elderly people are likely to comprise the largest single group in receipt of community care services. It should recognise that potential and current users of community care services are a heterogeneous group, with a diverse range of information and service needs. Finally, it should be based on an understanding of the information seeking behaviour of potential and current users of community care services and their preferred methods of information provision, and on an awareness of the likely barriers to information which may be in operation.

There is a difficult social situation in Lithuania nowdays. It touched not just a country, but every single town separately. Many of young people goes to those countries in Europe, where is much better economical life average. All problems begin when some sociali groups as kids, old people and disabled people becomes as a problem for a state. Such groups become users of social services. In Europe Union and Lithuania priority way in social security is social services, especially special social services. These people, who get social services are those, who mostly experience social disjuncture. Mostly special social services are proposed in stationary social services centers. But one of the aims of social security is decentralization. What does it mean? Special social services need ti be overtaken by the town municipality, to establish ambulatory social sevices. By the way, people of any social group do not longer feel social disjuncture. One of the way to make social services ambulatory – to offer them at client‘s home. Anyway, nowdays social services at all and special social sevices are proposed at stationary institutions to much to match up with ambulatory institutions. Government is not always able to help it‘s people, so it has to be interested to stimulate institutions that are not established by government, but are proposing special social services. Government has to be interested ti prompt buisinessmen to offer their services, in social sphere. In Alytus town for... [to full text]

The main purpose of this study is to find out what kind of help social service in one selected municipality in Sweden can provide for children who have witnessed or been victims of domestic violence. Using focus group interview this study investigate how the social workers meet the needs of these children. The bases for our analysis are the Organization Theory and the Attachment Theory, as well as previous research. Important results are that the social services are dependent on notifications in order to do their work and that the most common interventions are foster care, emergency foster care and/or family therapy. The difficulties that social workers perceive their work are unjustified families and heavy workloads. The results showed the difficulties of helping these children, and indicated that children who have witnessed domestic violence not always receive adequate response.

The objective of this research is to study peoples’ reasons for rural-urban migration in the Babati district of Tanzania and the outcomes of such a migration on the migrants’ quality of life in Babati town. This qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews and secondary sources. The interviews were performed with poor people in urban Babati town and two villages in rural Babati district. In the last thirty years the population of Babati town has increased more than threefold. The causes of rural-urban migration to Babati town are to be found in economical, social and cultural factors. The economic predominate, with the search for employment mentioned by all the migrants in the study. The migrants in Babati town emphasized adequate housing as a very important factor for a good life in town. This need was in many cases not fulfilled. Many were also still lacking social services and could not afford to buy basic necessities. The greatest asset for the people who have moved to Babati town was the diverse market of employment. The benefits of living in Babati town seem to outnumber the problems for most of the urban migrants. For the villagers of Mutuka the greatest asset was good natural conditions for agriculture and lifestock. In Magugu a great advantage was trade, the affordability of houses, food and necessary things. Due to differences of the dynamics of the two villages the people of Mutuka were more eager to move to Babati town than the inhabitants of Magugu. Small harvests and an insufficient market for farming products were great concerns as well as lack of social services.

A paucity of knowledge of social care services to transgender people in Scotland led to this research. Medical and social care services take very different approaches to the needs of migratory transgender people. The research design involved online questionnaires and interviews with statutory service commissioners and providers, and with voluntary organisations and transgender people themselves. A framework of three research questions underpinned the research, firstly looking at the nature of dedicated and generic support services in Scotland, secondly exploring assistance relating to transgender identity and status, and thirdly considering additional support to transgender people within their relationships and their communities. Data analysis was influenced by grounded theory in the development of themes and sub-themes which structured the research findings. The research findings indicate limited planning, guidance, training and policy development to facilitate access to generic services by transgender people. Dedicated service provision was found to be often limited to adults during transition whilst transgender children and young people, and family members including partners and parents, received limited support. A range of alternative sources of support, including transgender support groups, gender specialists, GPs, counsellors/psychiatrists and social care staff, were found to provide varying levels of support to transgender people with gender identity, transition, family support, documentation, transgender linked mental health problems and with long-term physical or other mental ill health issues. Approximately half of transgender respondents indicated that social work advice and support would be valued for each of the above categories, and that additional support would also be valued regarding making plans for the future, conflicts with family, friends, colleagues or neighbours, social isolation, social rejection, and with developing a more confident community presence. The thesis concludes with a proposal for a re-balancing of the historical systematic ‘medicalization’ of transgender, by a process of socializing transgender, through advocacy work seeking greater understanding and acceptance of transgender people and the adoption of a transgender legal status, and through the provision of the wide range of additional social care support to transgender people noted above, particularly during the socialization phase of transition and beyond.