Text in English / It is common knowledge that the social work profession in Africa, including its theories, methods, and models, has been implanted from the global North (Europe) and North America. Scholarship within social work has confirmed that
there are challenges of relevance and appropriateness of Westernised social
work interventions, and consequently, their effectiveness in a context outside
the Euro-North American axis. It is against this backdrop that the researcher
explored the African family, its experiences, and its coping strategies when
raising a child with Down syndrome as well as the nature of social work services
they received and whether such services were congruent with the family’s
existential condition and subjectivities. A retrospective qualitative study following
a phenomenological design was conducted. Research data were collected from
a sample drawn using purposive and snowball techniques, through the use of
semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data analysis process adapted from
Terre Blanche, Durrheim and Painter (2006:33) was used. The findings revealed
the existence of a paradoxical relationship between Eurocentrism underlying
social work practice and the Afrocentric worldview. The typical African family
raising a child with DS was found to be characterised by a unique form and
structure consistent with a clan system different from the conventional
Eurocentric concept of family. It was also found that despite the pressure and
assault exerted by modernity, colonization and apartheid on the traditional
African clan system, it remained resilient and retained its unique character
distinct from the western nuclear family system. In relation to dealing with
challenges associated with raising a child with DS, the African clan’s concerns
were found to transcend pre-occupation with the etiology and treatment of the
condition as emphasized in the western paradigm. Without discounting the
significance of the etiology and treatment of the condition, the African clan
draws on its spirituality and affection to consider the purpose and function of the
condition in the bigger scheme of things. Social work as a helping profession
seemed to be unpopular amongst African clans raising children with DS. The
findings were used to develop indigenised social work practice guidelines for
social workers assisting African families raising children with DS. / Social Work / Ph. D. (Social Work)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/22929 |
| Date | 01 1900 |
| Creators | Mathebane, Mbazima Simeon |
| Contributors | Sekudu, J. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (10 unnumbered pages, 381 pages) : illustrations (some color) |
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