Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 104-114).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 104-114) Also available in print.

Recent legislation passed by the South African Parliament has sharpened attention on the importance of mediation in the process of divorce. Without the understanding and cooperation of the legal profession, and of attorneys in particular, there appears to be small chance that this will be adequately recognised and brought to fruition. The research reported in this dissertation reflects the results of an investigation of Cape Town attorneys working in the field of divorce. Their attitudes to and knowledge of the concept of divorce mediation are reported, and the prospects of collaboration between a social work agency and the legal profession in divorce mediation have been analysed. It is clear that some collaboration is achievable between the social work and legal professions in this area. A methodology has been developed and validated that is generally applicable, and which could also be used for investigation of other professional groups. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Roger Simon. Includes bibliographical references.

Recent legislation passed by the South African Parliament has sharpened attention on the importance of mediation in the process of divorce. Without the understanding and cooperation of the legal profession, and of attorneys in particular, there appears to be small chance that this will be adequately recognised and brought to fruition. The research reported in this dissertation reflects the results of an investigation of Cape Town attorneys working in the field of divorce. Their attitudes to and knowledge of the concept of divorce mediation are reported, and the prospects of collaboration between a social work agency and the legal profession in divorce mediation have been analysed. It is clear that some collaboration is achievable between the social work and legal professions in this area. A methodology has been developed and validated that is generally applicable, and which could also be used for investigation of other professional groups. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

M.A. (Social Science) / Adolescent pregnancy and motherhood have been given considerable attention in the South African education system. Before 1994 pregnant adolescents were expelled from school (as the policy then stipulated) until they delivered their babies. With the adoption of new national legislation, current policies, the South African Schools Act no 84 of 1996 emphasise that equal education must be provided for all learners, thus abolishing the exclusion of pregnant learners from mainstream education. This study explored support provided to teenage mothers who return to school. The research approach of the research was qualitative in nature. The research design was exploratory and descriptive. The target population was teenage mothers who returned to either of the only two high schools situated in Reiger Park. The sampling strategy was non-probability sampling. The data collection methods were semi-structured interview schedules, observation and a tape recorder. The data were analysed by with the assistance of a qualitative context analysis. The findings suggested that participants experienced support from their families and community as a vital role in being a teenage mother, as they experienced being a teenage mother to be life changing. It was found that the families and community of the teenage mothers provide various kind of support to them to enable them to return to school. Although they had the support of their families and in some cases their boyfriends, the responsibilities of raising a child at such a young age placed heavy burdens on them. The general consensus from all the participants was that their children became the centre of their lives. Practice guidelines for social workers were established to improve the provision of support to teenage mothers who do not receive support from their families and community.

M.A. / Since the seventies social workers have become increasingly aware of the necessity and potential effectiveness of social work, and this stimulated the ideal to want to offer services to clients even more responsibly. The social work profession prides itself in its commitment to the development of the strengths and virtues of people rather than focusing on their weaknesses and shortcomings. All these considerations have formed part of the researcher's interest in the unmarried father as an object of research ...

The South African population is highly populated by single mothered families. Fatherlessness has emerged as one of the greatest social problems, especially as children who grow up in families with absent-fathers suffer lasting damage. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of fathers’ imprisonment on the functioning of the family and social work interventions to mitigate the effect. The study used mixed method research design. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires and in-depth interviews. This study employed three sampling strategies; namely multi-stage sampling and purposive sampling as well as snow-ball sampling. The sample was made up of 65 members of families whose father is in prison or had been to prision and 15 social work officials. Qalitative data was analyised using themes and parrtens that emerged during interviews with participants, quantitative data was analysed using SPSS computer softerwere. Findings revealed that father’s imprisonment has negative impact that causes dysfunctional families. The negative effect is due to the loss of a father figure and a provider of the family. Inequality and stigmatisation among family members were also found to cause dysfunctional families after the father’s imprisonment. Findings from social work officials revealed social service interventions to mollify the family dysfunctions. However, majority of families are provided services through offender re-integration, others lack unawareness regarding social work interventions for families with fathers in prison. Findings further reveal that resources are limited to enhance the provision of adequate and better psychosocial support for affected families in order to alleviate the undesirable impact of father’s imprisonment. There is therefore a compelling need for implementing policies that will enable dysfunctional families with fathers imprison to access adequate psychosocial support services. The study also recommended that, social welfare system should be strengthened by embarking on enlightenment programmes that create awareness about family based interventions for dysfunction families with fathers in prison.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Thesis (M Social Work)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to gain understanding of the perceptions and experiences of divorced women in the postdivorce phase, with specific reference to rural divorcees. During intervention with divorced women the social worker ought to be informed about the needs of divorcees, as well as be skilled to deal with the trauma of divorce. It is therefore necessary to understand how women experience the post-divorce process. The Systems, Ecological, Strengths and Feminist Perspectives are used as a frame of reference to understand the adaptation of divorced women. First, a study of relevant literature is undertaken which presents a broad review of the process of divorce; divorce as a mourning process, as well as the influence of divorce on the women and children. Attention is also devoted to literature on the adaptation of women in the post-divorce phase. Second a qualitative, phenomenological research subject is chosen to explore the experiences and perceptions of divorced women’s adaptation during the post divorce-phase. Factors which obstruct adaptation, as well as factors which stimulate personal growth, came to light during the empirical research. Four themes unfolded from the research. The first theme relates to tension: tension regarding finances; tension regarding health; tension arising from the overloading of roles and tension resulting from the relationship with the ex-husband, as well as how divorce is experienced int the rural areas. The second theme deals with spirituality: divorce as a spiritual crisis; deepenig spirituality; spirituality in the shaping of identity and facilitating to a large extent the mourning process. In the third theme various sources of support are discussed, while the fourth theme focuses on the positive side of divorce, namely personal growth. The before mentioned themes contain the challenges divorced women experience during the post-divorce phase. Recommendations focus on post-divorce intervention which are aimded to relief stress, strengthen spirituality, to obtain knowledge of supportsystems in the community, and also to stimulate the process of personal growth. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het ten doel om geskeide vroue se persepsies en ervarings van hul aanpassing in die post-egskeidingsfase te verstaan, met spesifieke verwysing na die plattelandse geskeide vrou. Tydens intervensie met geskeide vroue behoort die maatskaplike werker vaardig en goed ingelig te wees ten opsigte van die behoeftes wat geskeides ervaar, daarom is dit noodsaaklik om te verstaan hoe geskeide vrouens die proses ervaar. As praktykraamwerk is die Gesinsisteem-, Ekologiese, Sterkte- en Feministiese Perspektief gebruik om die aanpassing van geskeide vroue te verstaan. Eerstens is ‘n literatuurstudie onderneem wat ‘n breë oorsig oor die proses van egskeiding, egskeiding as rouproses asook die invloed van egskeiding op die vrou en kinders bied. Aandag is ook gegee aan die aanpassing van die vrou in die postegskeidingsfase. Tweedens is ‘n kwalitatiewe, fenomenologiese navorsingsontwerp gekies om die ervarings en persepsies van vyf geskeide vroue uit verskillende plattelandse dorpe se aanpassing in die post-egskeidingsfase te eksploreer. Faktore wat die aanpassing strem, asook faktore wat persoonlike groei stimuleer, het uit die empiriese navorsing na vore gekom. Vier temas het uit hierdie navorsing ontspring. Die eerste tema hou verband met spanning: Finansiële spanning, spanning oor gesondheid, spanning wat ontstaan uit die oorbelading van rolle, spanning oor die verhouding met die gewese man, en die plattelandse ervaring. Die tweede tema handel oor spiritualiteit: egskeiding is ‘n spirituele krisis, dit bring spirituele verdieping, spiritualiteit help met identiteitsvorming en fasiliteer in ‘n groot mate die rouproses. In die derde tema word verskeie ondersteuningsbronne bespreek, terwyl die vierde tema ook die positiewe kant van egskeiding uitlig, naamlik persoonlike groei. Bogenoemde temas vervat die behoeftes wat geskeide vroue tydens die aanpassingsperiode na egskeiding ervaar. Aanbevelings het gefokus op postegskeidingsintervensie wat daarop gemik is om spanning te help verlig, spiritualiteit te versterk, ondersteuningsnetwerke in die omgewing te ken en die proses van persoonlike groei te stimuleer.