Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Following the democratic elections in 1994, many South Africans are still suffering due
to the country’s inability to meet the challenges of peace-making, reconciliation and
nation building, and dealing with socio-economic realities such poverty and inequality.
It is in this context where “personal problems [are] becoming public issues” (Sacco,
1999:3) that the researcher posed the questions: What additional undisclosed/hidden
resources can be uncovered to be utilised in meeting the challenge? How can we as
practitioners in the field of community development contribute constructively to this
process? One such a resource is the untapped spiritual potential of people. A focus on
people’s spiritual potential will bring another dimension to people and community
development and could proof invaluable in helping communities to better utilise their
inner strengths and knowledge. Translated into practice, it would require an in-depth
and research-based creative, non-prescriptive bottom-up approach to and knowledge
of community development to prompt practitioners to acknowledge and utilise the
spiritual dimension of the community development practice (cf. Weyers, 1991:130–
149; Ife, 1998:xiv).
Inconceivably, notwithstanding the increased recognition of spirituality as an
important dimension of working with individuals and communities, the dimension of
spirituality has not been included or fully developed as an integral component of
community development practices. A literature survey clearly indicated that, though
traditionally the key role-players in the field of social development have been
community and social work practitioners in faith-based organisations and churches
alike, little or no attention is paid to spirituality in current community development
literature and practice (Ver Beek, 2003:31). Confronted with this deficiency, in this
study the researcher argued for a convergence of the three disciplines of (1) social
work community development, (2) the newly emerging discipline of spirituality and (3)
practical theology. Since practical theology recognises both the fields of spirituality
and community development as basis for their praxis focusing on poverty and
suffering, justice and liberation, it was further asserted that the field of practical
theology offers a home for the development of an integrated framework for
community development. Thus the goal of the study was threefold: - To theorise the inter-relationship between spirituality, theology and community
development, building a triangular theoretical construct between the disciplines of
social work, spirituality and practical theology.
- To explore the practice of transforming people and communities through
incorporating a spiritual dimension into an integrated community development
approach.
- To propose a praxis framework for the incorporation of spirituality in community
development. An inter-disciplinary action research design was utilised to follow a cyclical process
consisted or a preliminary literature search, and a field study which involved ‘on site’
visits (village walks) in the pilot and two sample communities, healing retreats and
capacity building worksessions. Subsequently, an in-depth literature study on the topics
of spirituality, community development and transformation as covered in the disciplines
of social work and practical theology, was undertaken. The findings indicated
spirituality as source of survival and hope; at the heart of community development
(and therefore a legitimate focus of the action research project) and lastly as source of
renewal for community development practitioners. Other key findings were the
centrality of relationships and transformation; and the importance of a radical shifting
of the focus from previous top-down problem-/project-/programme-centred models to
unlocking the potential interconnectedness/relationship between God, people and
creation as the core substance of participative, transformational development. These
findings were utilised in the proposal for a relational praxis framework for community
transformation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bykans twee dekades na afloop van die demokratiese verkiesing in 1994 is daar
steeds vele Suid Afrikaners wat daagliks blootgestel is aan die uitdaging om te
oorleef te midde van voortgesette armoede, ongelykheid, geweld en werkloosheid –
hoofsaaklik vanwee die regering se onvermoë om die uitdagings met betrekking tot
sosio-ekonomiese realiteite die hoof te bied. Dit is in hierdie konteks van persoonlike
probleme wat oorvloei na die arena van openbare vraagstukke (Sacco, 1999:3) dat
die navorser die volgende vrae stel: Watter alternatiewe, tans onontginde, bronne is
daar wat aangewend kan word om hierdie knelpunte die hoof te bied? Hoe kan
praktisyns (binne die ontwikkelingsterrein) konstruktief bydra tot hierdie proses?
‘n Voorlopige literatuurstudie het daarop gedui dat spiritualiteit (van individue en
gemeenskappe) een so ‘n potensiele bron van onontginde energie en potensiaal is.
Indien daar binne die verband van gemeenskapsontwikkeling op die spirituele
dimensie gefokus word, mag dit van ontskatbare waarde wees om mense binne
gemeenskappe te help om hulle innerlike sterktes en kennis ten volle te ontwikkel. In
praktyk sal dit vereis dat praktisyns die potensiaal van die spirituele dimensie erken
en oop is daarvoor om spiritualteit as dimensie van gemeenskapsontwikkeling binne ‘n
kreatiewe, navorsingsgefundeerde deelnemede benadering te integreer (cf. Weyers,
1991:130–149; Ife, 1998:xiv). In die lig daarvan dat daar, veral binne die dissipiline
van maatskaplike werk, tot op hede min navorsing gedoen is oor die insluiting van
spiritualiteit as dimensie van gemeenskapsontwikkeling en -praktyke (Ver Beek,
2003:31), is geargumenteer dat ‘n inter-dissipliere benadering, met die insluiting van
die dissiplines van (1) maatskaplike werk gemeenskapsonwikkeling, (2) spiritualiteit en
(3) praktiese teologie die daarstel van ‘n geskikte teoretiese raamwerk sal moontlik
maak. Aangesien praktiese teologie beide die dissiplines van spiritualiteit en
gemeenskapsontwikkeling erken as basis vir die praxis-fokus op armoede en sosiale
geregtigheid en bevryding, is daar van die standpunt uitgegaan dat die dissipiline
van praktiese teologie die geskikte die ruimte vir die ontwikkeling van ‘n
geïntegreerde raamwerk vir gemeenskapsontwikkeling is. Die doel van die studie was
drieledig:
- Om ‘n multi-vlakkige teoretiese konstruk tussen die drie dissiplines van
maatskaplike werk, spiritualteit en gemeenskapsontwikkeling daar te stel. - Om ondersoek in te stel na die praktyk van transformering van mense en
gemeenskappe deur die inkorporering van ‘n spirituele dimensie in ‘n
geïntegreerde gemeenskapsonwikkelingsbenadering.
- Om ‘n praxis raamwerk voor te stel vir die inkorporering van spiritualiteit in
gemeenskapsontwikkeling. Die inter-dissilinêre aksie navorsingsontwerp het bestaan uit verskeie siklusse wat ‘n
voorlopige en diepte literatuurstudie en veldnavorsing behels het. Die veldnavorsing
het ingesluit: ‘in situ’ besoeke aan die onderskeie gemeenskappe (wat deur die
teikengroeplede verteenwoordig is); ‘n ‘retreat’ vir elke groep; ‘n reeks
kapasiteitsbousessies en die ontwikkeling van twee gemeenskapsprojekte
voorspruitend uit die navorsing. Die in-diepte literstuurstudie het gefokus op die
integrering van spiritualiteit, transformering en gemeenskapsontwikkeling binne die
dissiplines van maatkaplike werk en praktiese teologie. Die bevindinge van beide die
veldwerk en die literatuurstudie het daarop gedui dat spiritualiteit ‘n bron van hoop
en oorlewing is, dat dit tot ’n baie groot mate ‘n positiewe rol in die
teikengemeenskappe speel en dat dit as ‘n bron van versterking en vernuwing vir
individue en gemeenskappe kan dien. Die sentraliteit van verhoudings en transformasie
was ander sleutelbevindinge, asook die fokus op ‘n totale wegkeer van tradisionele
hierargiese benaderings na voetsoolvlak verteenwoordiging en inspraak ten einde die
potensiële interverwantskappe tussen God, mense en die skepping as die kern van
deelnemende transformerende gemeenskapsontwikkeling te kan erken en benut.
Hierdie bevindinge is as riglyne vir die voorgestelde relasionele praxis raamwerk vir
geïntegreerde gemeenskapstransformering gebruik.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/85721 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Murray, Isabel |
| Contributors | Swart, Ignatius, Green, Sulina, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiii, 324, xxvii leaves : ill., photos |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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