See the attached abstract below

Text in English / This study is focused on the topical issue of female poverty in South Africa. Specifically, the study is on how poverty has single mothers households in reception area of Diepsloot informal settlements and how they have been coping with poverty while at the same time trying to change their situation. The study is premised on a qualitative approach employing the use of snowball sampling to refer other single mothers resident in the reception area. Methodologically, the results are drawn primarily on interviews held with 30 women residing in the reception area of the informal settlements. The study selects 8 out of 30 case studies which stand out from the others in circumstances, challenges and livelihood assets; challenges and coping mechanisms. What emerges from the results of all the interviews is a complex range of factors influencing and exacerbating these households' vulnerability and resilience to chronic poverty. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Text in English / This study is focused on the topical issue of female poverty in South Africa. Specifically, the study is on how poverty has single mothers households in reception area of Diepsloot informal settlements and how they have been coping with poverty while at the same time trying to change their situation. The study is premised on a qualitative approach employing the use of snowball sampling to refer other single mothers resident in the reception area. Methodologically, the results are drawn primarily on interviews held with 30 women residing in the reception area of the informal settlements. The study selects 8 out of 30 case studies which stand out from the others in circumstances, challenges and livelihood assets; challenges and coping mechanisms. What emerges from the results of all the interviews is a complex range of factors influencing and exacerbating these households' vulnerability and resilience to chronic poverty. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Female-headed families have become a major component of society, globally and locally. South Africa has also witnessed an increase in the number of female-headed families. Children raised in female-headed families have been reported to be disadvantaged in several ways. Many are said to be performing poorly at school, having low self-esteem, experiencing early sexual activity, and displaying adverse behaviour. Hence, the views of adult children who grew up in female-headed families were explored to inform social work practice. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual study was undertaken with 12 participants whose ages ranged from 25 to 35 years. The goal of this study was to gain insight into the experiences of adult children who grew up in female-headed families. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed following Tesch’s (in Creswell, 2009) framework. Data was verified using Lincoln and Guba’s model of trustworthiness. The major findings highlighted first, a deep-seated need to understand reasons for being abandoned by their fathers. Second, the resources inherent within female-headed families, often overlooked, revealed the strengths that these families possess. Third, spirituality as the foundation of their resilience during difficult times dominated the participants’ accounts of being raised in female-headed families. Fourth, various support structures emerged as fundamental components, requisite for the optimal functioning of female-headed families. The implications for social work and recommendations for future research are presented. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

Children heading their households are not a new phenomenon in South Africa. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been the number one cause behind the emergence of many child-headed households in sub-Saharan Africa. This qualitative research inquiry was guided by an interpretivist epistemology. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory was used as the theoretical framework that guided this study. A case study design was used with un-structured interviews being the primary method of data collection. Participatory task-based methods in the form of metaphors and story writing, informal observations, questionnaires and field notes augmented the data generation process. Purposive sampling procedures were used and two participants were chosen for this study. Thematic analysis of data generated the themes and sub-themes which provided insight into the lives of children in the role of parents. Findings of this study reveal that orphaned and vulnerable children in the role of parents have the task of taking care of their siblings by providing food, washing their clothes, sending them to school and helping with their homework. They also have the added task of making decisions in the home and providing parental guidance to their younger siblings in the absence of their parents. Children in this study also experienced poverty and faced stigma and discrimination from relatives, peers, neighbors and members in the community / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Children heading their households are not a new phenomenon in South Africa. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been the number one cause behind the emergence of many child-headed households in sub-Saharan Africa. This qualitative research inquiry was guided by an interpretivist epistemology. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory was used as the theoretical framework that guided this study. A case study design was used with un-structured interviews being the primary method of data collection. Participatory task-based methods in the form of metaphors and story writing, informal observations, questionnaires and field notes augmented the data generation process. Purposive sampling procedures were used and two participants were chosen for this study. Thematic analysis of data generated the themes and sub-themes which provided insight into the lives of children in the role of parents. Findings of this study reveal that orphaned and vulnerable children in the role of parents have the task of taking care of their siblings by providing food, washing their clothes, sending them to school and helping with their homework. They also have the added task of making decisions in the home and providing parental guidance to their younger siblings in the absence of their parents. Children in this study also experienced poverty and faced stigma and discrimination from relatives, peers, neighbors and members in the community / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

The central objective of this dissertation is to gain an understanding of the effect by the market within the household on a specific developmental initiative whose aim was poverty reduction. This dissertation analyses how individuals gain access to resources, and how they enforce their entitlements during the on-going implicit and explicit negotiations inherent in daily rural life. The research tested the suitability of several concepts previously untested in the southern African context. The concept of hearth-holds, proved valuable as a unit of analysis which recognizes the importance of female-directed social units. The relevance of the fall-back position in terms of locality of kin, as well as perceptions of legitimacy, were crucial in affecting how far they were willing to go and what they felt they could demand in everyday household bargaining situations. The deficiency of using romantic ideas of conjugal relations and equal opportunities to explain practice was apparent. Spouses strategise within the terms of their conjugal contracts, at times adhering to the dominant patriarchal bargain, at times covertly defying or overtly challenging it, and following another bargain. Placing women as the custodians of morality, works to the relative advantage of men by isolating women from accessing certain opportunities. Female heads of households, manage to legitimise their access to resources by virtue of being custodians of their children. Custodianship of cash funds, and the dominant decision making model used for resource related decisions in the household, clearly impacted on the relevance of different strategies in the bargaining process. The strategic entry points in this process of reduced transparency and violence were relevant in most households studied. The latter was effective in reinforcing and shaping the conjugal contract, despite in effect breaking it. Drinking facilitated this process by creating a temporary suspension of the rules. Concrete recommendations for developmental practitioners involve incorporating the hearth-hold concept and promoting the communal planning, budgeting and monitoring approach, as well as to specifically target individuals who need their intra-household bargaining power boosted. A clear policy on affirmative action in gate keeper roles, as well as gender disaggregated documentation of beneficiaries, should be institutionalised. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Text in English / Background: Children living in child-headed households have health needs that require treatment and care. Matsanjeni is one of the poorest socio-economic areas of Swaziland with the high number of children orphaned by HIV and AIDS who are often living without adequate family and social supports. These conditions are known for increasing people vulnerability to diseases and hindering access and utilization of health services. However, children living in child-headed households in Matsajeni community do attend the primary health care (PHC) services on regular basis. What influence the utilization of the above services by children living in child-headed households in the Matsanjeni community is not clear and well documented. Aim of the study: To explore and describe the views of children living in child-headed households in a rural community of Swaziland regarding factors influencing their utilization of PHC services. Design: A qualitative descriptive design was used to guide the study. Purposive sampling was used to select the most senior child from child-headed households in a rural community. Semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews were used to generate data. Data saturation was reached after twenty interviews. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data. The researcher used Andersen behavioural model was to identify and organised the emerged themes. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Committees of the University of South Africa and the Ministry of Health of Swaziland. Results: Fear to develop a deadly disease, perceived seriousness of the condition, desire for compliance to medical treatment, and community support emerged as enablers of primary health care services utilisation among children living in child-headed households. While lack of money, ignorance, shortage of healthcare personnel, negative behaviour and attitude of health professionals, long waiting hours, unreliable transportation system, and long distance emerged as inhibitors of primary health care services utilisation among children living in child-headed households. Conclusion and recommendation: The results of this study add to our understanding factors that positively and negatively influence the utilisation of primary health care services among children living in child-headed households in rural communities. The findings suggest that the utilisation of primary health care services among children living in child-headed households is influenced by need for care-enabling resources-experience of care triad. Behavioural and social welfare interventions are needed to enhance the utilisation of primary health care services among this vulnerable section of the community in Swaziland. Recommendation for further research is also articulated. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

The central objective of this dissertation is to gain an understanding of the effect by the market within the household on a specific developmental initiative whose aim was poverty reduction. This dissertation analyses how individuals gain access to resources, and how they enforce their entitlements during the on-going implicit and explicit negotiations inherent in daily rural life. The research tested the suitability of several concepts previously untested in the southern African context. The concept of hearth-holds, proved valuable as a unit of analysis which recognizes the importance of female-directed social units. The relevance of the fall-back position in terms of locality of kin, as well as perceptions of legitimacy, were crucial in affecting how far they were willing to go and what they felt they could demand in everyday household bargaining situations. The deficiency of using romantic ideas of conjugal relations and equal opportunities to explain practice was apparent. Spouses strategise within the terms of their conjugal contracts, at times adhering to the dominant patriarchal bargain, at times covertly defying or overtly challenging it, and following another bargain. Placing women as the custodians of morality, works to the relative advantage of men by isolating women from accessing certain opportunities. Female heads of households, manage to legitimise their access to resources by virtue of being custodians of their children. Custodianship of cash funds, and the dominant decision making model used for resource related decisions in the household, clearly impacted on the relevance of different strategies in the bargaining process. The strategic entry points in this process of reduced transparency and violence were relevant in most households studied. The latter was effective in reinforcing and shaping the conjugal contract, despite in effect breaking it. Drinking facilitated this process by creating a temporary suspension of the rules. Concrete recommendations for developmental practitioners involve incorporating the hearth-hold concept and promoting the communal planning, budgeting and monitoring approach, as well as to specifically target individuals who need their intra-household bargaining power boosted. A clear policy on affirmative action in gate keeper roles, as well as gender disaggregated documentation of beneficiaries, should be institutionalised. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Text in English / Background: Children living in child-headed households have health needs that require treatment and care. Matsanjeni is one of the poorest socio-economic areas of Swaziland with the high number of children orphaned by HIV and AIDS who are often living without adequate family and social supports. These conditions are known for increasing people vulnerability to diseases and hindering access and utilization of health services. However, children living in child-headed households in Matsajeni community do attend the primary health care (PHC) services on regular basis. What influence the utilization of the above services by children living in child-headed households in the Matsanjeni community is not clear and well documented. Aim of the study: To explore and describe the views of children living in child-headed households in a rural community of Swaziland regarding factors influencing their utilization of PHC services. Design: A qualitative descriptive design was used to guide the study. Purposive sampling was used to select the most senior child from child-headed households in a rural community. Semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews were used to generate data. Data saturation was reached after twenty interviews. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data. The researcher used Andersen behavioural model was to identify and organised the emerged themes. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Committees of the University of South Africa and the Ministry of Health of Swaziland. Results: Fear to develop a deadly disease, perceived seriousness of the condition, desire for compliance to medical treatment, and community support emerged as enablers of primary health care services utilisation among children living in child-headed households. While lack of money, ignorance, shortage of healthcare personnel, negative behaviour and attitude of health professionals, long waiting hours, unreliable transportation system, and long distance emerged as inhibitors of primary health care services utilisation among children living in child-headed households. Conclusion and recommendation: The results of this study add to our understanding factors that positively and negatively influence the utilisation of primary health care services among children living in child-headed households in rural communities. The findings suggest that the utilisation of primary health care services among children living in child-headed households is influenced by need for care-enabling resources-experience of care triad. Behavioural and social welfare interventions are needed to enhance the utilisation of primary health care services among this vulnerable section of the community in Swaziland. Recommendation for further research is also articulated. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)