This study focuses on understanding supervisors' and managers' experiences of supporting breastfeeding support at work in the context of clothing factories in the Western Cape, South Africa. Return to full-time employment after maternity leave is the leading cause affecting mothers' breastfeeding decisions. A qualitative, exploratory research design was used. Secondary qualitative data from 17 in-depth semi-structured interviews with supervisors and managers were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Three major themes emerged: Influence of supervisors' socio- cultural beliefs and personal experiences on support orientation; Navigating productivity, mothers' breastfeeding needs, and co-worker emotions; and the nature of maternity and breastfeeding conversations. Drawing from the study findings, implications for managerial practices and policy recommendations are proposed to advance managerial and supervisory support for breastfeeding at work in low-income workplaces.

Includes bibliography. / This study is a critical analysis of educare policy in South Africa with recommendations towards effective provision for the preschool child. The need for a radically revised policy, structure and provision system is based on the inadequacies, inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the present system. A quantitative descriptive research design is used in which use is made predominantly of secondary data and field experience of the writer. Data collection was hindered by the lack of information available and the reluctance of certain authorities to provide information as requested. The historical development of educare in South Africa is outlined. Legislation which, impacts on educare is recorded and the present education and care policies and structures are described. The extent of educare provision is quantified focusing on who is provided for and who is not. Gil's (1981) framework for Analysis and Synthesis of Social Policies is used in analysing educare policy within the Social Planning and Administration paradigm. The study contends that there is no clear unitary discernible educare policy in existence and this has resulted in fragmented structures controlling educare in this country. Particular attention is made to the ideological and value underpinnings of educare policy, structure and provision. The result is an array of services which are uncoordinated and inadequate in terms of the need and demand. The study concludes by making recommendations aimed at eliminating the inadequacies highlighted. A radically revised educare policy is proposed. A three-tier structure with defined responsibilities and functions at each level is suggested. It is the writers belief that implementation of these recommendations will contribute to the solution of problems faced in the educare field today.

On-site childcare is an ever-increasing form of childcare. By understanding the decisions, experiences and feelings of mothers using on-site centers, informed policy decisions about viable childcare models can be made. In the broadest terms current literature reveals that economic, societal, functional, and psychological factors influence a mother's decisions in regards to using childcare. This study used these markers as the basis for the development of questions to ascertain the experiences, feelings and decisions of mothers using on-site childcare. A phenomenological method was used. Twenty-four participants using on-site childcare from four organizations in different industries were located through a snowball sample for in-depth interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded to derive themes of experiences. The findings reveal that on-site childcare impacts previously described effects of childcare. The factors of primary influence are child proximity and organizational support. The influence of close proximity can be seen in the themes of Networking, Organizational System Oneness, Family/Community Perception, Mothering Style, Center Quality, Work Time, Commuting Time, Nursing/Lactation, Guilt, Stress Management, and Employee Loyalty. Organizational assistance and support impact and overlap with proximity as a primary theme source. This can be seen in the themes of Cost, Networking, Organizational System Oneness, Waiting List, Center Quality, Work Time, Commuting Time, Nursing/Lactation, Stress Management and Employee Loyalty. The quality of the childcare, which in large part is made possible by the supporting organization, is held in such high regard that in some cases it overcomes the mother's desire for proximity. The implications of these findings are that high quality on-site childcare provides a significant benefit for mothers, organizations and communities. Family friendly organizational policy and feminist urban planning methods are better informed.

Pre-tenured faculty in higher education and as well as mothers have reportedly struggled with low wellness levels, high demands, little social support, and an imbalance of work and home life. Mothers in higher education and in counselor education have reported struggling with work-life balance, high scholarly productivity, and long hours as well as the emotional and physical energy demands of working with counselors-in-training. A search of the professional literature revealed a paucity of quantitative research regarding demographic characteristics, wellness levels, and social support levels of mothers among counselor education faculty (MCEs). Participants for this study were faculties of counselor education programs recruited from the Holland List of Counseling Programs and from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs online directory. A total of 180 MCEs participated (aged 29-63, with mean age 40.6 years; 83% Caucasian, 8% other, 5% African American, 3% Hispanic, <1% Asian). Results showed that faculty rank did not account for a significant difference among wellness scores of MCEs and that reported social support, tenure or non-tenure track, number of children in the care of MCEs, number of children under age 8, number of publications, and teaching workload accounted for 14% of the variance in wellness levels of MCEs. Specifically, reported higher teaching workload (β = -.194, rs2 = .35, p = .012) and higher social support (β = -.258, rs2 = .36, p = <.001) were found to be significant predictors of lower wellness levels among MCEs, both with small effects. Based on these results, MCEs may benefit from advocating that their departments and universities adapt to their unique needs to improve their levels of wellness and social support through mentoring, which, in turn, may result in not only their own increased productivity but also their students' increased wellness levels.

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No description available.

Stress plays a key role in our daily lives, influencing our emotional state, productivity, and health. One particular role in life, being a parent, has attracted significant attention in the research world in terms of the amount of stress parents experience in relation to different aspects of being parents. A life change that many parents, particularly mothers, are experiencing in increasing numbers is their return to college. This study compared reports of parenting stress and perceptions of the family environment between two groups of mothers. The first is a group of 32 mothers who were working 30 or more hours a week outside the home and were not enrolled in college while the second group consists of 31 mothers who were in college full-time and working less than 10 hours a week outside the home. All of the mothers were between the ages of 25 and 45 and had at least one child between the ages 5 and 12 years old. In both groups the mothers verified that their child(ren) was (were) without any diagnosis of an emotional, behavioral, or learning problem. A series of one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVAs) were performed. Results indicated there were no significant group effects related to the overall parenting stress expressed by the mothers. A significant group effect was noted (F = 5.31;\ p < .05) in that the working mothers reported a greater level of perceived poor health than the mothers who were attending college full-time. In relation to the mothers' perception of their family environment, a significant group effect (F = 6.23;\ p < .05) was found indicating that the working mothers reported a greater emphasis on ethical and religious issues and values.

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, for the degree of Master of Arts. / This study evaluates the utility of a stress-coping paradigm for explaining differences in psychological adjustment to stress among duel-employed family members. Specifically, a model of stress was applied that encompassed a single stressful dual-employed family event, the degree of perceived stressfulness of this event, dual-employed family coping and five dimensions of personal adjustment (two work indicators, two family attitudes and one individual measure). This model was used to assess the mechanisms through which dual-employed family stress and coping are linked to psychological outcomes through two effects. first being the main effect which states that stress and coping have a uniform effect on well-being, independent of one another. The second being the moderator effect which says that coping moderates the impact of stressful episodes depending on the type, or degree, of stress encountered. Two procedures were applied for analysing data. Firstly, content analysis was applied to the single stressful life events measure and from this the existence of seven forms of dual-employed family stress were established, namely, occupational, domestic chore, child-care, role overload, marital, financial, and stressors arising from external systems encompassed under the label "other". Secondly, moderated multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between each dependent, independent and moderator variable and provided statistical support for the operation of both main and moderator effects. This support, however, was found to vary according to context and level of stressfulness of the events. The limitations of the present study are noted as well as the practical and theoretical implications. Furthermore , the implications for future research on stress, coping and adjustment among dual-employed families are considered. / Andrew Chakane 2018

Many single working mothers are challenged with the task of balancing work and home demands. Prolonged exposure to stress can threaten individuals' physical and emotional health and well-being. Listening to music is one commonly used positive coping mechanism for stress management and relief. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of single working mothers who regularly listen to New Age music for stress relief. Participants were single working mothers, 30-45 years old, with self-reported stress, who were employed at least part time and who had at least 1 child under 18 years of age in the home. Participants were interviewed on their experiences with home and work-related stress, motherhood, and listening to New Age music for stress relief. This inquiry was guided by feminist theory, and data was analyzed using Moustakas' modification of Van Kaam's method of data analysis. The responses from these interviews identified the stress factors experienced by these single working mothers, which included finances, workplace stress, childcare, transportation, and working mother stereotypes. Participants also described the calming effects of New Age music on self-reported symptoms of physical and emotional stress. These reported effects include the promotion of mental focus and an immediate physical and emotional release from stress. The results of this study may contribute to positive social change by highlighting the benefits of listening to New Age music as an alternate means of stress management and relief; this implication could indirectly save employers considerable expense in stress-related health care and missed work. These findings may serve as a basis for future quantitative research into the use of music for stress relief.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences