Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to assess the needs for a Resource Centre (RC) run by
Community Connections (CC), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in
Philippi, Cape Town. The overall objective of the RC is the empowerment of
Community Based Organisations (CBOs). Community Connections’ mission is to
support community development in South Africa by building the capacity of CBOs to
initiate, manage and sustain local empowerment and self help initiatives.
Research paradigms for the study were critical theory with its aim of emancipation
and an approach that favours transformative action, as well as postmodernism with its
appreciation of local contextualised knowledge and value based action. The research
problem was addressed through action research and a case study approach. The
researcher did an internship at CC between March and November 2008. During this
period data was collected through participant observation as well as interviews,
namely thirteen semi-structured interviews with CBOs and four additional interviews
with practitioners of the NGO and external stakeholders.
The study was motivated by an approach to development that aims at transformation
to increase social justice and the strengthening of vulnerable and marginalised groups.
The transformative potential of development is discussed through an analysis of
related concepts such as social capital, participation and empowerment. It was found
that discourses and social practices can shape the way people participate and that the
environment also influences participation through the availability of space for
participation and debate. Empowerment needs the critical consciousness of people
and takes place when the inequality in power relations is addressed. Development
therefore needs to be people centred, value meaningful participation and aim at
inverting existing imbalances in access to assets and resources in society. The review
evaluates suggestions for civil society practice that supports a transformative, learning
and partnership based approach to development.
To address the research question of how an NGO Resource Centre can most
effectively contribute to creating empowering linkages between CBOs and other
stakeholders, their external relationships were assessed. Relevant stakeholders include
CBO funders, NGOs and government departments and institutions. The findings of
the research describe those relationships with a focus on the imbalances in power and
how they manifest themselves in practice. The relationship between CBOs and
Community Connections was assessed as well as the relevance of specific services
that the RC would provide.
The recommendations focus on how the RC can support the strengthening of CBOs in
their specific environment, and how they can be enabled to act upon their
environment through access to relevant information, knowledge and capacities.
Specific recommendations for the RC focus on the learning in Community
Connections through the integration of services, making the NGO more accessible for
CBOs through the constant availability of certain services, and further research that
can strengthen the work of Community Connections and the empowerment of CBOs. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om ondersoek in te stel na die vereistes en behoeftes
van ʼn Hulpmiddel Sentrum (HS), bedryf deur Community Connections (CC), ʼn nieregeringsorganisasie
(NRO) gebaseer in Philippi, Kaapstad. Die oorkoepelende
doelwit van die HS is die bemagtiging van gemeenskapsgebaseerde organisasies
(GGO‘s). Community Connections se missie is om gemeenskapsontwikkeling in Suid
Afrika te ondersteun deur die uitbouing van die vermoë van GGO‘s om plaaslike
bemagtiging en self-help inisiatiewe te inisieer, te bestuur en te onderhou.
Die navorsingsparadigmas vir die studie was kritiese teorieë met hulle kenmerkende
klem op emansipasie en ʼn benadering wat voorkeur gee aan transformatiewe aksie,
asook postmodernisme, met waardasie van plaaslik-gekontekstualiseerde kennis en
waardegedrewe aksie. Die navorsingprobleem is aangespreek deur aksie-navorsing en
ʼn gevalle studie-benadering. Die outeur het ʼn internskap by Community Connections
deurloop vanaf Maart tot November 2008. Gedurende hierdie tydperk is data bekom
deur deelnemende waarneming asook onderhoude, naamlik dertien semigestruktureerde
onderhoude met GGO‘s en vier addisionele onderhoude met
praktisyns van die NRO‘s en ander eksterne belanghebbendes.
Die studie is gemotiveer deur ʼn benadering tot ontwikkeling wat gerig is op
transformasie ten einde sosiale geregtigheid te bevorder en kwesbare en
gemarginaliseerde groepe te versterk. Die transformatiewe potensiaal van
ontwikkeling word bespreek deur ʼn analise van verwante konsepte soos sosiale
kapitaal, deelname en bemagtiging. Daar is bevind dat diskoerse en sosiale praktyke
deelname kan beïnvloed en ook dat die omgewing ʼn impak uitoefen op deelname as
gevolg van die beskikbaarheid van ruimte vir deelname en debat. Bemagtiging vra vir
ʼn kritiese bewussyn by gemeenskappe en vind plaas wanneer die ongelykheid van
magsverhoudings aangespreek word. Ontwikkeling moet dus
gemeenskapsgesentreerd wees, erkenning gee aan betekenisvolle deelname en daarop
gemik wees om die wanbalans in die toegang tot bates en hulpbronne om te keer. Die
studie evalueer voorstelle vir gemeenskapsgebruike wat ʼn transformatiewe,
kundigheidsvormende en vennootskapsgedrewe benadering tot ontwikkeling
ondersteun.
In ʼn poging om die navorsingsvraag te beantwoord van hoe ʼn NRO hulpmiddel
sentrum optimaal kan bydra tot die daarstelling van brûe tussen GGO‘s en ander
belanghebbendes, is hulle eksterne verhoudings geëvalueer. Relevante
belanghebbendes sluit GGO-befondsers, NRO‘s en regerings-departemente en
instellings in. Die bevindinge van die navorsing beskryf hierdie verhoudings en fokus
op die magsongelykhede en hoe hulle in die praktyk beleef word. Die verhoudings
tussen GGO‘s en Community Connections is ondersoek asook die toepaslikheid van
spesifieke dienste wat die HS sou voorsien.
Die aanbevelings fokus op hoe die HS kan bydra tot die versterking van GGO‘s in
hulle spesifieke omgewing en op watter wyses hulle bemagtig kan word om ʼn invloed
op hulle omgewing te hê deur die toegang tot relevante inligting, kennis en
vaardighede. Spesifieke aanbevelings t.o.v. die HS fokus op die opleiding van CC
deur die integrasie van dienste, ʼn poging om NRO‘s meer toeganklik te maak vir GGO‘s deur die konstante beskikbaarheid van sekere dienste en verdere navorsing
wat die werksaamhede van Community Connections kan versterk en die GGO‘s kan
bemagtig.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6660 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Zeus, Marion |
| Contributors | Muller, Anneke, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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