Browsing by Author "Du Pisanie, Izelle Almerie"

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    A social work investigation into environmental injustice in a low socioeconomic settlement: The experiences of residents
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Du Pisanie, Izelle Almerie; Green, Sulina; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Environmental injustice is a global phenomenon that entails the unequal distribution of environmental resources as well as disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards. Invariably, low socioeconomic populations carry a higher burden of negative environmental conditions such as pollution and vulnerability to natural dangers, while having less access to environmental resources such as vegetation, public parks, and adequate infrastructure. The case is no different in South Africa, where unequal and oppressive environments were deliberately created under apartheid governance, and of which the effects persist to this day. The Social Work profession emphasises the importance of considering the person in their environment, yet there is very little empirical understanding of the impact of environmental injustice on social functioning and development. This qualitative study sought to investigate environmental injustice in low socioeconomic settlements from the perspective of residents. Utilising a combined exploratory and descriptive research design, residents of a low socioeconomic settlement in Cape Town, South Africa, had been interviewed to collect thick descriptions of their lived experiences regarding environmental injustice. A semi-structured interview schedule had been utilised to conduct in-person interviews. A purposive sampling method was utilised to attain a sample of 15 participants who met the sample criteria. The key finding of this study is that residents of a low socioeconomic settlement face adverse environmental conditions daily. This includes a lack of adequate access to resources such as clean water and basic sanitation services; insufficient infrastructure; and natural or constructed spaces that render residents vulnerable to crime and environmental dangers such as fires, flooding and toxic pollution. This lack of environmental resources and exposure to dangers is contrary to the Constitution of South Africa, which ensures a safe environment, housing and basic services to all citizens. Not only do the residents of low socioeconomic settlements experience these environmental injustices, but their plight is perpetuated by little recognition of the impact of the environment or legal protection of their rights. The findings also highlight the profound impact of these unequal environmental conditions on the social functioning of residents and state of their social development within the low socioeconomic settlement. Residents are wrought with anxiety and fear; their self-concept is degraded; they feel undignified; community cohesion dissolves; spiritual and cultural alienation occurs; residents lose hope for the future; and crime prevails. With little intervention by the government and social sector to address these continued issues, residents are trapped in an oppressive cycle of environmental injustice that prevents optimal social functioning and inhibits social development. In the light of the findings, several recommendations are made for role players in different sectors, who may have an impact on the issue of environmental injustice in low socioeconomic settlements. These recommendations all relate to a need for a greater awareness of the impact of environmental injustice on social development, and a shift to addressing not only the resounding effects of the issue, but also attempts to counter it’s causes. Environmental injustice influences many spheres of society and the environment, and must therefore be addressed on a multi-disciplinary level.