From introduction: The aim of this thesis is to describe and analyse the effects of labour migration on marriage and family life. The field material is from Burnshill, a village situated in the Keiskammahoek district in the Ciskei. Keiskammahoek is bounded on the East by the districts of King William's Town and Stutterheim, on the West and South by Middledrift and on the North by Cathcart. The inhabitants of Burnshill are overwhelmingly Xhosa and Mfengu (the main ethnic groups in the Ciskei) but also include a small proportion of people whose clans are of Mpondo and Thembu origin. This village has undergone extensive change. As we shall show later, it was settled de novo by the Mfengu and the Xhosa during the second half of the past century. This is one of the reasons why it lacks the homogeneity and continuity of cultural tradition which are predominant features of long-established communities.

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Workers absenteeism is a problem for many companies in South Africa. The absenteeism of workers affects the productivity of companies. The social worker in the industry plays a key role in the managing of workers absenteeism. One of the goals of social work in the industry is to enhance the productivity of workers. Consequently there is a lack of specifically South African research on the social factors that influence worker absenteeism and the role of the social worker to manage worker absenteeism. A survey of international literature forms the starting point for the research undertaken to fill this gap. The influence of social factors on worker absenteeism is described. Three worker absenteeism approaches, namely economical, psigological and sociological approaches are being used to describe the social factors that influence worker absenteeism. The literature view also offers management strategies to help combat worker absenteeism. In the study there is being focused on the female worker because the empirical study takes place at a company that manufactures clothes. The empirical study describes the social factors that influence the absenteeism of female workers working in the manufacturing company. Proposals are made concerning ways to combat worker absenteeism, taking into account the important role the social worker in the industry plays in managing worker absenteeism. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Werknemerafwesigheid is vir baie fabrieke en firmas in Suid-Afrika 'n ernstige probleem. Die werksafwesigheid van werknemers veroorsaak dat die produktiwiteit van fabrieke en firmas beïnvloed word. Die maatskaplike werker in die bedryf kan 'n belangrike rol speel in die hantering van werknemerafwesigheid, omdat dit 'n doelstelling van maatskaplike werk in die bedryf is om die produktiwiteit van werknemers te verhoog. Derhalwe is daar 'n gebrek aan spesifieke Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing oor die maatskaplike faktore wat werknemerafwesigheid beïnvloed, en wat die maatskaplike werker se rol is om werksafwesigheid te beperk. 'n Literatuurstudie word aangebied as vertrekpunt vir die navorsing wat onderneem is om genoemde leemte aan navorsing te vul. Die invloed van maatskaplike faktore op werknemerafwesigheid word bespreek. Drie benaderings tot werknemerafwesigheid, naamlik ekonomiese, sielkundige en sosiologiese benaderings word geondersoek waaronder die maatskaplike faktore wat werknemerafwesigheid beïnvloed, bespreek word. Die literatuuroorsig bied ook bestuurstrategieë om die werksafwesigheid van werknemers te bekamp. Daar word spesifiek op die vroulike werknemer gefokus omdat die empiriese ondersoek by 'n klerevervaardigingsfabriek plaasvind. Die empiriese ondersoek handel oor die maatskaplike faktore wat die werksafwesigheid van vroulike fabriekarbeiders beïnvloed. Na aanleiding van die bevindinge van die ondersoek word aanbevelings vir die hantering van werknemerafwesigheid gemaak. Dit geskied met inagneming van die belangrike rol wat die maatskaplike werker in die bedryf kan speel in die hantering van werknemerafwesigheid.

The focus of the study was two-fold, firstly to determine the effect of age on the capacity of manual materials handling workers and secondly to determine the effect of increasing task mechanisation on the workers’ responses to task demands. The first component of this study, namely Part I, 101 male and 12 female ‘unskilled’ manual workers – of various ages – from a brick manufacturing industry were assessed. Anthropometric, health and strength factors were measured to improve the understanding of the South African manual worker capacity and more specifically, the effect of age on this capacity. Data collection was done between 7.30am and 9.30am in a laboratory-type setting on-site. Anthropometric characteristics (including body mass index, waist to hip ratio, waist circumference and body fat percentage) provided information on the state of obesity and the impact of age in the South African context. Linked to this, the health factors (including blood pressure, resting heart rate and a self-reported questionnaire) provide an extra snapshot of the disease profile in South Africa, and could potentially influence other capacity factors. Isometric strength capacities (of eight different areas, namely: back, leg, bicep, shoulder, pinch, pinch and pull) demonstrated whether South African manual workers show the same decline in strength with aging as seen in industrially advanced countries. The second component of the study, Part II, was performed in situ and measured the workers’ responses to task demands of three brick palletising tasks, one manual (n=21) and two with increasing mechanisation (n=12 each). Spinal kinematics, joint forces and working heart rate were assessed on normal work days during a 30-lift duration and body discomfort measures were taken at the start, middle and end of the work-shift. Spinal kinematics were measured dynamically using a lumbar motion monitor, whereas the spinal forces were estimated using the three dimensional static strength prediction program. The worker capacity results showed that waist to hip ratio, waist circumference and body fat percentage increased significantly with aging, whereas body mass index was not affected by age. All body morphology values were within ‘normal’ ranges. Although diastolic blood pressure increased significantly with age, systolic was not affected significantly by age. Both groups, however, showed an increasing prevalence of hypertension with aging. There were no significant changes in resting heart rate with aging, with a range of 66 bt.min⁻¹ to 74.86 bt.min⁻¹, therefore within normal ranges. Of the strength factors, age only affected shoulder and push strength significantly: Showing a decrease in shoulder strength from 49.89 kgF to 39.91 kgF in the men aged 20-29 to the 50-59 respectively and an increase in push strength from men aged 30-39 and 40-49 to those aged 50-59. Part II results revealed highly frequent lift rates and large degrees of sagittal flexion and lateral bending in all three tasks. These postures adopted for long durations are likely to lead to the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Heart rates of workers from the three tasks were significantly different and heart rates for two tasks were above the recommended 110 bt.min⁻¹. Similarly the body discomfort ratings of the three tasks differed, although a common trend was seen in that lower back pain was the most commonly reported area of discomfort in all tasks. South African manual materials handling males did not show the same responses to aging as men from industrially advanced countries, calling for further research into these differences. Due to the high risks of the three tasks assessed, future research and interventions are required to reduce the risk of injury in the assessed tasks.