Maatskaplikewerkhulpverlening aan gesinne in egskeidingsituasies

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Date
2010-03
Authors
Heyns, Letisia Susanna
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Divorce is a serious problem phenomenon that is increasing in our society, whilst numeruous households in our community are affected by it. Insufficient information is available with regard to the type and extent of social work services that should be rendered to families in divorce situations. The focus is essentially on specific areas such as the legal aspects attached to divorce. There is no uniformity in social work services that are rendered to families in divorce situations. The danger therefore might be that the family members should struggle on their own through the trauma of their divorce situations. This issues therefore forms the motivation for the study. The focus was, during the literature study, on the theoretical foundation of social constructionism which was used as the conceptual framework for the study. The literature overview focuses further on the narrative approach which results from the social constructionism and has been utilized as a strategy during the study. The literature study also focused on the three most prominent divorce models described in the literature as well as the most important services and resources which are available to families in divorce situations. An overview was given about the meaning and reality constructions which the different family members attached to their divorce situations. The literature overview was completed with a discussion of the participatory action research which was used as research method during the empirical study. The literature study was supplemented with an empirical study according to a qualitative investigation. Participatory action research was utilized as the method of research. Adult white males and – females who were in the process of divorce, or either already been divorced, as well as a limit number of some of the children of the participants were involved in the research. Individual interviews, groupdiscussions and a workshop were utilized to establish the needs and existing reality constructions of the participants. Groupdiscussions were done mostly on weekly basis and took approximately ninety minutes per discussion. During the interaction processes and the action phase of the participatory action research, the narrative approach was utilized as strategy. The participants got the opportunity to define their problem dominated themes and to externalized it by means of the utilization of the narrative approach. Unique outcomes were identified gradually in the participants stories which were then again utilized as the basis in the developing of new narratives. The new story includes specific outcomes and planning, focussed on the needs and problems identified by the participants. As the participants put into effect their actions and planning they succeeded in completing the tasks which were identified as relevant to cope with their divorce situation. The process of interaction which took place throughout the research lead to a continuous process through which participants changed and/or transformed their existing reality constructions concerning their divorce situation. This resulted in behavioural change of the participants. The “definitional ceremonies” confirmed the new stories which were facilitated through witnesses. “Remembering conversations” provided the opportunity to participants to arrange persons and resources in such a way that those who support the new narratives becomes more prominent in their lives. During the “taking it back practices” the contributions of participants to the life of the researcher were acknowledged. The life of the researcher therefore was described more richly. In accordance with participatory action research, participants were recruited throughout the project and become part of the project for the divorced (or persons in the process of a divorce) within the church community where the research was conducted. The process of participatory action research became entangled with the process of social work service delivery to individuals and families in divorce situations in such a way that the research became a sustainable modus operandi towards such individuals. The social worker could gradually take less responsibility for the process. The narrative approach seems to be an ideal stategy to implement participatory action reseach and eventually, as in this research project, to render social work services to families in divorce situations. As the process unfolds the participants were able to successfully complete the tasks that are necessary to adjust to their divorce situation.
Afrikaans: Egkeiding is `n ernstige- en groeiende probleemverskynsel waardeur talle gesinne in ons gemeenskap geraak word. Gebrekkige inligting is beskikbaar ten opsigte van die aard en omvang van maatskaplikewerkdienslewering aan gesinne in egskeidingsituasies. Daar word hoofsaaklik gefokus op spesifieke fokusareas soos die wetlike aspekte verbonde aan egskeiding. Geen eenvormige standaard in die lewering van maatskaplikewerkdienste aan gesinne in egskeidingsituasies bestaan nie, sodat die gevaar mag bestaan dat die betrokkenes op hul eie deur die trauma van hul egskeiding moet worstel. Hierdie dilemma het dan ook die motivering vir die studie gevorm. `n Literatuurstudie word gedoen, met die fokus op die teoretiese fundering van die sosiaal konstruksionisme wat as konseptuele raamwerk vir die studie benut is. Die literatuuroorsig fokus verder op die narratiewe werkswyse wat voortvloei uit die sosiaal konstruksionisme en as strategie tydens die studie benut is. Daarna word gefokus op drie van die vernaamste modelle wat in die literatuur beskryf word ten opsigte van egskeiding asook die vernaamste dienste en hulpbronne wat in die verband beskikbaar is. `n Oorsig word verder gegee oor die betekenis en meegaande werklikheidskonstruksies wat die verskillende gesinslede aan hul egskeidingsituasie verleen. Die literatuuroorsig word afgesluit met die bespreking van die deelnemende– aksienavorsing wat as metode benut is tydens die empiriese ondersoek. Die literatuurstudie word aangevul met `n empiriese ondersoek aan die hand van `n kwalitatiewe ondersoek. Deelnemende-aksienavorsing is as navorsingsmetode benut. Volwasse blanke mans en vrouens wat besig is om te skei of reeds geskei is en van die deelnemers se kinders is betrek by die navorsing. Individuele gesprekvoering, groepsgesprekke en `n werkswinkel is benut om die behoeftes en bestaande werklikheidskontruksies van die deelnemers vas te stel. Groepsgesprekke het min of meer op `n weeklikse basis plaasgevind en het ongeveer negentig minute per groepsgesprek geduur. Tydens die interaksie prosesse- en die aksie fase van die deelnemende-aksienavorsing is die narratiewe werkswyse as strategie benut. By wyse van die narratiewe metode kry die deelnemers geleentheid om uitdrukking te kan gee aan hul probleemgedomineerde temas en dit te eksternaliseer. Unieke uitkomste word geleidelik in die deelnemers se verhale geïdentifiseer wat weer as basis benut word in die ontwikkeling van nuwe narratiewe. Die nuwe verhaal omvat spesifieke aksies en beplanning wat fokus op die behoeftes en probleme wat deur die deelnemers geïdentifiseer is. Soos die deelnemers hierdie aksies en beplanning tot uitvoering bring, slaag hulle daarin om die take te bemeester wat aangedui is, relevant te wees om hul egskeidingsituasie te verwerk. Die proses van interaksie wat voortdurend tydens die navorsing plaasvind, het `n proses tot gevolg gehad waar deelnemers hul bestaande werklikheidskonstruksies rakende hul egskeidingsituasies hervorm en/of verander het. Dit het weer gedragsverandering by die betrokkenes tot gevolg. Die bevestigingseremonies het die bevestiging van die nuwe verhale deur getuies gefasiliteer. Herinneringsbesprekings bied geleentheid aan die deelnemers om persone, instansies en selfs gebeure sodanig te herrangskik dat diegene en gebeure wat die vestiging van die nuwe narratiewe ondersteun meer prominent in die lewens van die deelnemers gemaak word. Tydens die terugneemaksie word die bydrae wat die deelnemers tot die navorser se lewe maak, erken en waardering daarvoor gegee. Derhalwe word die lewe van die navorser ook ryker omskryf. In ooreenstemming met die deelnemende-aksienavorsing word deelnemers aan die projek voortdurend gewerf en word hulle deel van die projek vir geskeides (of persone wat besig is om te skei) binne die gemeente waar die navorsing geloods word Die proses van deelnemende-aksienavorsing raak vervleg met die proses van maatskaplikewerkdienslewering aan persone en gesinne in egskeidingsitusies sodat dié vorm van navorsing as’t ware `n volhoubare werkswyse of vorm van dienslewering aan sodanige persone skep. Die maatkskaplike werker kan geleidelik minder verantwoordelikheid neem vir die vir die proses. Die narratiewe werkswyse blyk `n ideale werkswyse te wees om deelnemendeaksienavorsing te implimenteer en uiteindelik, soos in hierdie navorsing, maatkskaplikewerkdienste aan gesinne in egskeidingsituasies te lewer. Soos die proses ontvou slaag die betrokkenes daarin om die take te voltooi wat noodsaaklik is om hul egskeidingsituasie te verwerk.
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Keywords
Thesis (Ph.D (Social Work))--University of the Free State, 2010, Divorce mediation, Family mediation, Family social work, Divorce counseling, Social constructionism, Narrative procedure, Reality constructions, Discourse, Divorce, Divorce situations, Marriage partners, Family members, Participatory action reseach, Social work services
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