Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a pastoral care strategy for the affirmation of the dignity of the poor Black older persons. In
this study there is a discussion of how the poor Black older persons suffered the defacement of their
dignity under Apartheid and how to a large extent their dignity is still being defaced under the new
democratic dispensation in South Africa. These poor Black older persons are victims of various forms of
older person abuse. They experience the prejudice of ageism intensely as it is exacerbated by racism; and
with no appropriate medical and health strategies in place to provide quality health care; and with
inappropriate housing, social services, and residential care services, their dignity is denied. Due to past
discriminatory laws and policies these vulnerable older persons suffer the consequences of low levels of
formal education within an environment of engineered poverty and racial discrimination which made it
impossible for them to enter into quality employment which would enable them to provide adequately for
old age. The deprivation thus experienced made it difficult for them to flourish economically and
otherwise. At present they are still marginalised and they experience intense forms of loneliness. These
poor Black older persons continue to suffer humiliation and indignity in spite of legislation and policies
purporting to ensure their well-being. Within a society embracing a neo-liberalist philosophy they are
considered unimportant as they do not contribute productively to the economic well-being of the
community and are therefore relegated to the lowest ranks of society. With the effacement of their dignity
through socially constructed systems their human development is seriously hampered, resulting in a
disintegration of human wholeness. The inequality that the poor Black older persons suffer is an
indictment against humanity as these older persons have the right to feel at home on the planet. Due to the
fact that they are not recognised as having been created in the image and likeness of God, their
uniqueness and distinctness as human beings are denied, their identities distorted, and they are not
considered worthy citizens. In order to affirm the dignity of the poor Black older persons a practical theological methodology as
proposed by Osmer (2008) and consisting of four tasks, has been employed. The notion of a moral
economy for the affirmation of the dignity of these poor Black older persons has been utilised. With the
moral economy orientation linked with a Liberation Theology methodology the dignity of the poor Black
older persons is affirmed as a personal attribute based on the older persons being a category of people
being carried into old age by God, enjoying privileged positions of honour and respect, and being
eschatological signs and symbols of God’s goodwill towards restored communities in Christ. Within a
moral economy the values of reciprocity, responsibility, and interdependence are used to affirm the
dignity of these older persons intergenerationally and contextually. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is ʼn pastorale sorg strategie vir die bevestiging van die menswaardigheid van die arm
Swart ouer persone. In hierdie studie word daar aangedui hoe die arm Swart ouer persone se
menswaardigheid onder Apartheid en in ‘n groot mate in die nuwe demokratiese dispensasie geskend is.
Die arm Swart ouer persone het die slagoffers geword van verskeie vorms van misbruik. Die
diskriminasie teen ouderdom word intensief deur hulle ervaar soos dit vererger word deur rassisme; en
met geen behoorlike mediese en gesondheidstrategieë in plek om in die behoefte van hierdie kwesbare
ouer persone te voorsien nie; en met gebrekkige behuising, sosiale dienste en onvoldoende plekke van
sorg vir ouer mense, is die menswaardigheid van hierdie ouer mense erg misken. Weens historiese
diskriminerende wette en regeringbeleid ly hierdie kwesbare ouer persone die gevolge van lae vlakke van
formele opvoeding binne ‘n omgewing waar armoede kunsmatig geskep is en waar rassediskriminasie
geheers het. Hierdie omstandighede het dit vir hulle onmoontlik gemaak om kwaliteit werk te kry wat
hulle in staat sou stel om toepaslik vir die ouderdom voor te berei. Die ontberinge wat gevolglik gely
word, maak hulle ekonomiese en andersydse ontwikkeling onmoontlik. Hulle is gemarginaliseerd en ly
aan intense eensaamheid. Hierdie arm Swart ouer persone gaan voort om vernedering en
onmenswaardighede te ly ongeag van wetgewing en beleidstukke bedoel vir hul welsyn. Binne die
gemeenskap wat ‘n neoliberalisties filosofie aanvaar, word hierdie ouer mense misken omdat hulle nie
produktief tot die ekonomiese welvaart van die gemeenskap bydra nie, en daarom word hulle beskou as
sonder enige sosiale kapitaal wat hulle dan sosio-ekonomies op die laagste vlak van die gemeenskap
sonder enige erkenning van hulle menswaarde en menswaardigheid plaas. Met die skending van hul
menswaardigheid deur sosiaal gekonstrueerde sisteme word hul menslike opbloei ernstig gestrem wat lei
tot die disintegrasie van menslike heelheid binne die demokratiese bestel van die Republiek van Suid-
Afrika. Die ongelykheid wat die arm Swart ouer mense ly is ‘n klag teen die mensdom omdat hierdie ouer
mense ontuis voel op die planeet. Hierdie groep is na die beeld van God geskape, maar hulle uniekheid en
besondersheid word miskien. Om die menswaardigheid van hierdie arm Swart ouer mense na te gaan, is ’n praktiese teologiese
metodologie gebruik soos voorgestel deur Osmer (2008) en word die vier teologiese take soos deur
hierdie metodologie voorgestel, gevolg. Betreffende die vierde taak van hierdie metodologie is die konsep
van ’n morele ekonomie gebruik vir die bevestiging van die menswaardigheid van die arm Swart ouer
persone. Met die skakel van hierdie morele ekonomiese oriёntering met die Bevrydingsteologiese
metodologie is die menswaardigheid van die arm Swart ouer persone bevestig as ’n persoonlike eienskap
gebaseer of die feit dat hulle ’n kategorie van mense is wat deur God in die ouderdom gedra word, wat dan bevoorregte posisies van eer en respek geniet as eskatologiese tekens en simbole van God se
toegeneëntheid teenoor herstelde gemeenskappe in Christus. Binne ’n morele ekonomie word die waardes
van wedersydsheid, verantwoordelikheid, en interafhanklikheid gebruik om die menswaardigheid van
hierdie ouer mense intergenerasioneel en kontekstueel te bevestig.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96584 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Carnow, Jacobus Johannes |
| Contributors | Thesnaar, C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology & Missiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xi, 324 pages : illustrations |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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