The facilitation of social integration on community level : a social work perspective

Date
2003-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Currently much attention is given in South African welfare legislation and in recent local and intemationalliterature and research to the process of social integration and the formation of social capital as one of the ideational outcomes of a social development approach, and therefore also a key practice element of developmental social work. Very little research have been undertaken to document the changes in social work practice brought about by the transition to a social development approach in South Africa. The purpose of this study is to formulate social work practice guidelines on the facilitation of social integration on community level. It therefore constitutes an attempt to illuminate how social workers could contribute to the national thrust toward the social integration of communities and provide valuable guidelines to social workers on the practical realization of this key element of developmental social work. In order to gain new insight and to clarify central concepts relating to this relatively unfamiliar research area, an exploratory research design was utilised. The population for the study consisted of practising social workers in welfare agencies subsidised by the Department of Social Services in the Cape Metropolitan area. From the population a sample was drawn utilising sampling strategies from both the probability and non-probability sampling procedures. The study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature and in-dept interviews were chosen as the method of datacollection. The interview schedule was compiled from the literature survey. In this survey the relation between the social development approach to welfare and social integration was explained, and some of the core focus areas for the social integration of South African communities were identified. Furthermore a discussion was given on community intervention strategies as a core method of social work as well as its practice implications for developmental social work. From this literature survey structured and unstructured questions were formulated and compiled in an interview schedule. This measurement instrument was utilised to explore how social workers can facilitate the social integration of communities through community intervention strategies. From the analysis ofthe results of the empirical study, social work practice guidelines on the facilitation of social integration on community level were formulated.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Huidige Suid-Afrikaanse welsynsbeleid asook kontemporêre plaaslike en internasionale literatuur en navorsing plaas verhoogde klem op die proses van maatskaplike integrasie en die vorming van sosiale kapitaal as een van die uitkomste van 'n sosiale ontwikkeling benadering en 'n kern praktyk element van ontwikkelingsgerigte maatskaplike werk. Tans is daar nog min navorsing gedoen wat poog om die praktyk implikasies, wat die skuifna 'n ontwikkelingsgerigte benadering vir maatskaplike werk inhou, te dokumenteer. Die doel van hierdie studie is om maatskaplike werk praktykriglyne vir die fasilitering van maatskaplike integrasie op gemeenskapsvlak te formuleer. Die studie vergestalt dus 'n poging om die rol van maatskaplike werkers in die strewe na die maatskaplike integrasie van gemeenskappe te probeer verhelder, asook om aan maatskaplike werkers waardevolle riglyne te voorsien rondom die praktiese realisering van hierdie kern element van ontwikkelingsgerigte maatskaplike werk. Ten einde nuwe insigte te ontwikkel en belangrike konsepte binne hierdie relatief onbekende navorsingsveld te klarifiseer, is 'n verkennende navoringsontwerp gebruik. Die universum vir hierdie studie het bestaan uit praktiserende maatskaplike werkers in diens van welsynsorganisasies in die Kaapse Metropool wat deur die Provinsiale Departement van Welsyn subsidieer word. Vanuit die universum is 'n steekproef getrek deur beide waarskynlikheid- en nie-waarskynlikheid steekproef trekking prosedures te benut. Die studie was beide kwalitatief en kwantitatief van aard en in-diepte onderhoude is gebruik as metode van data-versameling. Die onderhoude was gevoer aan die hand van onderhoudskedules wat op grond van die literatuur ondersoek opgestel is. In die literatuur ondersoek is die verhouding tussen die sosiale ontwikkeling benadering tot welsyn en maatskaplike integrasie ondersoek, asook kern areas vir die maatskaplike integrasie van Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskappe identifiseer. Verder is gemeenskapsintervensiestrategieë as 'n kern metode in die maatskaplike werk, asook die implikasies daarvan vir ontwikkelingsgerigte maatskaplike werk, bespreek. Die onderhoudskedule is gebruik om te eksploreer hoe maatskaplike werkers deur middel van hulle gemeenskapswerk intervensie kan bydrae tot die fasilitering van maatskaplike integrasie. Die versamelde data is analiseer en maatskaplikewerk praktykriglyne vir die fasilitering van maatskaplike integrasie op gemeenskapsvlak is geformuleer.
Description
Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy.
Keywords
Community development -- South Africa -- Western Province, Social interaction -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Industrial welfare -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Social work education -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Community organization -- South Africa -- Western Cape
Citation