Thesis (MSc) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa is a multicultural, multiracial and multilingual nation ("the rainbow nation")
with different traditions, values and cultural practices. Due to this diversity there are
different belief systems, which give rise to different attitudes and practices towards
various health issues such as disability, which in turn, have an impact on the
rehabilitation of people with disability. The purpose of this study is to investigate the
knowledge, attitudes and cultural beliefs towards disability and to identify the
commonalities and differences of three broad cultural groups of South Africa (Blacks,
Coloureds and Whites), and to determine their influence on the rehabilitation of
disabled people in the Cape Town area.
Sixty respondents (20 Blacks, 20 Coloureds and 20 Whites) were interviewed utilizing
the knowledge, attitude and belief (KAB) survey in the form of a structured interview.
Both probability and non-probability (systematic and purposive) sampling were used.
The study was carried out using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
The results showed that Whites and Colored generally had a fairly good knowledge of
disability and its causes, acquired while they were young, whereas Blacks had a more
superficial knowledge of disability, which was only acquired after the birth of a disabled
child. The results also revealed that quantitatively all the cultural groups held positive
attitudes towards the rehabilitation, education, marriage, childbearing and employment
of people with disability. Attitudes towards the stigma attached to being disabled were
also encouraging.
In contrast, the qualitative data showed disparities between the three cultural groups in
attitudes towards rehabilitation, education and marriage. Although rehabilitation is
considered an important aspect to disabled people and their families, some Blacks
experience problems in transporting their children to centres where rehabilitation
services are offered. Socio-economic factors also have a bearing on this.
The results revealed a general lack of awareness of disability among school children
and teachers in Black and the Coloured schools, which may make it difficult for
disabled children to be integrated into mainstream schooling. Marriage and childbearing was regarded as a way of increasing the support base of
individuals with disability in the Black group, while the Coloured and White groups
viewed marriage as a way of enjoying life and having children a matter of individual
choice.
Concerning employment and the promotion of people with disability, all three groups
believed that disabled people have a right to be employed and earn a salary.
In the area of beliefs, the results showed that the Black group blamed disability on
witchcraft and that they consult health professionals, folk healers and look to God for
healing. Most of the Whites and Coloureds believed that disability is a result of natural
causes, human error or the will of God.
There is an uneven geographic distribution of information about disability. Cultural
beliefs towards disability may delay or hinder early identification of children and
intervention.
Two main recommendations are made arising from these results. Firstly, health
professionals should know and understand the culture, values, beliefs and expectations
of their clients and, more importantly, bring services to the recipients in their own
familiar environment, culture and community, via the CBR model.
Secondly, I recommend that an evaluation of knowledge and attitudes towards
disability should be done in schools, where the disability awareness has been raised by
some NGOs as compared with those where no intervention has taken place. A survey
of this kind should be done in all the provinces of South Africa.
The findings from this research thus have very serious implications for the provision of
inclusive education and quality rehabilitation services for all the disabled children of
South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika het 'n multi-kulturele, veelrassige en veeltalige bevolking ("die
reënboog nasie") met uiteenlopende tradisies, waardes en kulturele praktyke.
Hierdie diversiteit gee aanleiding tot verskillende sienswyses en praktyke met
betrekking tot gesondheidskwessies soos gestremdheid, wat op gestremde
persone 'n impak het. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die kennis, sienswyses
en kulturele opvattings rakende gestremdheid by die drie breë kulturele groepe
van Suid-Afrika (Swartes, Kleurlinge en Blankes) te ondersoek en te bepaal wat
die verskille en ooreenkomste is en hoe dit die uitkoms van rehabilitasie van
gestremde persone in die Wes-Kaap raak.
Sestig respondente (20 Swartes, 20 Kleurlinge en 20 Blankes )is tydens
gestruktureerde onderhoude ondervra. Die "Knowledge, attitude and belief' (KAB)
onderhoud is gebruik: Beide 'n waarskynlikheids en nie-waarskynlikheids
steekproef en 'n kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe ondersoekmetode is vir die studie
gebruik
Die resultate het getoon dat Blankes sowel as Kleurlinge 'n redelike goeie kennis
het van gestremdheid en die oorsake daarvan, wat reeds op 'n jong ouderdom
opgedoen word. Daarteenoor het Swartes gewoonlik 'n meer oppervlakkige
kennis van gestremdheid, wat eers na die geboorte van 'n gestremde kind verwerf
word. Kwantitatief is getoon dat al die kultuurgroepe 'n positiewe houding het
teenoor rehabilitasie en onderrig van, huwelik met, hê van kinders en
indiensneming van gestremdes. Houding teenoor die stigma gekoppel aan
gestremdheid was ook bevredigend.
In teenstelling hiermee het die kwalitatiewe data ongelykheid tussen die drie
kultuurgroepe getoon in houding teenoor rehabilitasie en onderrig van en huwelik
met gestremdes. Swartes beskou rehabilitasie as belangrik vir die gestremde
sowel as die familie, maar ervaar probleme met toeganklikheid tot rehabilitasie.
Sosio-ekonomiese faktore impakteer hierop. Skoolkinders en onderwysers in Swart en Kleurlingskole toon 'n algemene gebrek
aan bewustheid van gestremdheid, wat integrasie in die hoofstroom-onderwys
kan bemoeilik.
Die Swart groep het huwelik met en hê van kinders beskou as 'n manier om die
ondersteuningsnetwerk van die gestremde uit te brei, waarteenoor die Blanke en
Kleurling groepe die huwelik beskou as 'n manier vir die gestremde om die lewe
te geniet en dat die hê van kinders 'n individu se keuse is.
AI drie die groepe glo dat die gestremde die reg het op indiensneming en om 'n
salaris te verdien.
Sover dit die sienswyses oor gestremdheid betref, blameer die Swart groep die
toorkuns daarvoor en besoek hulle die tradisionele geneser sowel as
professionele gesondheidswerkers. Hulle verwag genesing van God .. Blankes en
Kleurlinge glo dat gestremdheid die gevolg is van natuurlike oorsake, menslike
foute of die wil van God.
Daar was ongelyke geografiese verspreiding van inligting oor gestremdheid.
Kulturele sienswyses oor gestremdeheid mag 'n remmende invloed hê op op
vroeë identifikasie en intervensie by kinders.
Twee hoof aanbevelings kan op grond van die resultate gemaak word. Eerstens
behoort professionele gesondheidswerkers ingelig te wees oor die kultuur,
waardes, sienswyses en verwagtinge van hul kliënte, en dit te verstaan.
Dienslewering behoort na die ontvangers se eie omgewing, kultuur en
gemeenskap via die GBR-model gebring te word.
Tweedens beveel ek aan dat 'n evaluering van kennis en sienswyses, rakende
gestremdheid, in skole gedoen word. 'n Vergelyking kan getref word tussen die
skole waar bewusmaking van gestremdheid reeds deur NRO's gedoen is, teenoor
die waar geen intervensie was nie. So 'n ondersoek behoort in al die provinsies
van Suid-Afrika uitgevoer te word. Die uitkoms van hierdie studie het dus implikasies vir beide die voorsiening van
inklusiewe onderrig en kwaliteit rehabilitasie-dienste vir al die gestremde kinders
in Suid-Afrika.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52749 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Masasa, Tseleng Leonea |
| Contributors | Faure, M. R., Irwin-Caruthers, S. H., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine Health Sciences . Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Physiotherapy. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 125 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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