There is a paucity of research in the area of women abusing substances and the effects thereof on family cohesion. Lameman (2008:83) has claimed that “women substance abuse is surrounded by secrecy owing to the societal position and history of women in South Africa and worldwide”. Because women abuse substances in private it is reasonable to assume that there is little known on the effects of such abuse on especially the family and society at large. Mammam (2006:55) points out that “families continue to evolve like any other system as a way of adapting to the environment and responding to the changes around it”. Families continue to survive because of the attractiveness the family has to its members. Studies on family cohesion such as by Grisham and Adele (2008) reflect some of the most important reflectors of family cohesion as respect, sharing values and beliefs, emotional support, trust, intimacy and the ability to confide in each other. The survival of the family therefore rests on cohesion. Since a family is a unit there are different roles played by each member and in rural settings where roles, status and perceptions in terms of gender are slow to change, the question was how substance abuse by a woman would possibly affect family cohesion. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2011 World Drug Report indicated that South Africa is a major African hub for certain drugs such as heroin and cannabis (marijuana), as well as a major producer of others, including methamphetamines. Large numbers of South African citizens also abuse drugs and alcohol, and the country has one of the world’s highest alcohol consumption levels per drinker. Possibly the greatest negative effect of drug and alcohol abuse is that it slows down or stops emotional and psychological development, preventing people from reaching their full potential, (UNODC, 2011). Added to this is the burden placed on society by health care and criminal justice costs related to substance abuse, as well as the costs associated with decreased productivity in the workplace, increased HIV transmission, domestic violence, injury and death (UNODC, 2011).
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufh/vital:11766 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Muusha, Prudence |
| Publisher | University of Fort Hare, Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, M SW |
| Format | 116 leaves; 30 cm, pdf |
| Rights | University of Fort Hare |
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