Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Nowadays, members of the global community from various arenas are committed to
promoting social development and removing the obstacles of all kinds of social ills that
have been undermining the quality of people's lives, such as: poverty, social conflicts,
HIV/AIDS, injustice and violence. Is this feasible? If yes, how can we proceed to the full
realisation of human development?
This study made a close examination of the case of Rwanda, and compared it with that of
South Africa, with which Rwanda shares various historical and psychosocial realities
such as colonisation, and the need for reconciliation and reinforcement of communal
solidarity in order to proceed with and hasten the development process. The orientation
of the study is centred on the hypothetical question: "Why and how can social work be
used as a means of addressing social problems and promoting social development in
Rwanda?"
The study, basically of a qualitative nature, constitutes both library and field-based
research. Accordingly, the literature and the empirical investigation were used as key
methods to realise the goals and objectives stated. In the empirical study, a triangulation
of data gathering techniques, namely interviews, focus group discussions and direct
observations, was given the primary emphasis. By this means, enriched information from
both South Africa and Rwanda permitted various insights into crucial socio-economic
challenges, social development agents, the preferred approaches for social development
and the working conditions of social workers. The latter conditions were usually
described as being very difficult and trying.
Overall, the research findings show that:
+ There is a serious need for social development both in South Africa and Rwanda in
order to respond to the legacies of their pasts - especially to the upheavals of apartheid
and the genocide respectively (i.e. poverty, mistrust, social disintegration) - as well as to
a range of other social ills such as HIV/AIDS, violence and unforeseen factors;
+ The developmental approach, well espoused by the South African government which
chose to incorporate it in national policies, particularly in the White Paper for Social
Welfare (1997), is the most suited to foster the attainment of social development;
• Social work, using community work as the preferred method, is amongst the key
professions at the forefront of the operationalisation of social development and hence, of
the promotion of improved social welfare conditions;
• Empowerment, particularly of vulnerable people, is a key to social change;
• Social work, while moving towards a developmental approach - as developmental
social work - needs to consolidate its position by contributing effectively to development
instead of continuing to focus on individual cases Itherapies.
• Introduction of social work training at the National University of Rwanda (NUR) is a
positive omen for the stimulation of social development in the country;
• There is a particular need to update the social work curriculum in Rwanda.
Lastly, specific recommendations are given. The main recommendation is that efforts to
conduct a comprehensive war against social problems be unified. In terms of social work,
it is important that social work professionals be given more consideration and more
stimulation. Conducive working conditions must be also created for them, especially at
local level. Social workers, in tum, have to stand their ground, and work in good
partnership with other professionals and social development agents for the good of all
people, with special focus on the disadvantaged.
For Rwanda in particular, it is recommended that a national welfare policy be set up
urgently to strengthen social work education at university, and that, in the process,
reference be made to experienced countries such as South Africa. In this regard,
educators must ensure that new graduates will effectively become catalysts for social
development. This requires a good fit of theory and practice during the training process.
Above all, it is advisable for Rwanda to promote community work practice through the
community development model. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sosiale ontwikkeling is 'n hedendaagse prioriteit by lede van die globale gemeenskap uit
verskeie gebiede. Hulle streef daarna om die struikelblokke van verskeie sosiale
wantoestande wat mense se lewensgehalte ondergrawe - bv. armoede, sosiale konflik,
MIVNIGS, ongeregtigheid en geweld - te verwyder. Is so-iets haalbaar? Indien ja, hoe
kan ons voortbeweeg na die volle verwesenlikking van menslike ontwikkeling?
Rwanda en Suid-Afrika het albei te kampe met historiese en sosiaal-psigiese realiteite
soos kolonialisme, 'n behoefte aan sosiale versoening en aan die versterking van
gemeenskapsolidariteit ten einde sosiale ontwikkeling te bevorder en versnel. Hierdie
studie sentreer om die vraag: "waarom en hoe kan sosiale probleme in Rwanda
aangepak en sosiale ontwikkeling bevorder word deur middel van maatskaplike
werk?"
Hierdie basies kwalitatiewe studie is op beide bronnestudie en veldwerk gegrond.
Gevolglik was die gebruik van beskikbare literatuur en empiriese navorsing die
sleutelmetodes om bg. doelwitte te bereik. Wat betref die empiriese studie is 'n
drievoudige tegniek gebruik, nl. onderhoude, fokusgroep-besprekings en direkte
waarnemmg. Verrykte inligting uit beide Suid-Afrika en Rwanda het dit dus moontlik
gemaak om verskeie insigte m.b.t. kemvraagstukke betreffende sosio-ekonomiese
uitdagings, sosiale ontwikkelingsagente, gewenste benaderings tot sosiale ontwikkeling
en die werksomstandighede van maatskaplike werkers - wat gewoonlik as erg moeilik en
uitputtend beskryf word - te bereik.
Oor die algemeen bewys die navorsingsresultate die volgende:
• Beide Suid-Afrika en Rwanda ondervind 'n ernstige behoefte aan sosiale ontwikkeling
om op die erfenis van hul verlede te reageer (veral die omwentelings van apartheid en
volksmoord, respektiewelik) - d.w.s. armoede, wantroue en sosiale verbrokkeling, en
daarby nog MIVNIGS, geweld en ander onvoorsiene faktore.
• Die ontwikkelingsentriese benadering word duidelik geïllustreer deur die Suid-
Afrikaanse regering, wat 'n nasionale beleid vanuit hierdie oogpunt aangepak het - soos
veral spreek uit die Witskrif vir Sosiale Ontwikkeling ["White Paper for Social
Development"] (1997). Hierdie is die mees gepaste benadering tot sosiale ontwikkeling.
• Maatskaplike werk (veral d.m.v. gemeenskapsinisiatiewe) is een van die sleutelberoepe
m.b.t. die operasionalisering van sosiale ontwikkeling en die gevolglike
verbetering van sosiale welsynstoestande;
• Bemagtiging, veral van kwesbare persone, is die sleutel tot sosiale transformasie;
• Maatskaplike werk behoort, terwyl dit na 'n ontwikkelingsentriese benadering (d.m.v.
maatskaplike ontwikkelingswerk) beweeg, breedweg tot sosiale ontwikkeling by te dra,
eerder as om op individuele gevalle ofterapieë te fokus;
• Die instelling van opleiding in maatskaplike werk by die Nasionale Universiteit van
Rwanda (NUR) is 'n goeie teken wat dui op sosiale ontwikkeling van hierdie land;
• Daar is veral 'n behoefte daaraan om die Rwandese kurrikulum vir maatskaplike werk
te moderniseer.
Laastens word spesifieke aanbevelings gemaak. Dit word veral aanbeveel dat
verskillende pogings om sosiale wantoestande aan te pak, saamgesnoer moet word. In
terme van maatskaplike werk is dit belangrik dat professionele maatskaplike werkers
meer aandag en aanmoediging behoort te kry. Daar moet ook aandag gegee word aan hul
werksomstandighede, veralop plaaslike vlak. Op hul beurt moet maatskaplike werkers
hulleself laat geld, in samewerking met ander beroepslui en bydraers tot sosiale
ontwikkeling - tot voordeel van alle burgers, en met 'n fokus op sosiaal-benadeelde
persone.
Vir Rwanda in die besonder word aanbeveel dat 'n nasionale welsynsbeleid dringend in
werking gestel word om universiteitsopleiding in maatskaplike werk te verstewig, na die
voorbeeld van lande soos Suid-Afrika wat ondervinding van so 'n proses het. In hierdie
verband moet opvoeders verseker dat nuwe graduandi effektiewe katalisators van sosiale
ontwikkeling sal wees. Om dit te bewerkstellig word goeie passing tussen teorie en
praktyk benodig. Dit is veral raadsaam dat maatskaplike werk in die praktyk deur die
gemeenskapsontwikkelingsmodel gerugsteun sal word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53166 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Kalinganire, Charles |
| Contributors | Groenewald, C., Green, S., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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