Perspectives on family resilience in the face of unemployment
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Date
2020-11
Authors
Monakedi, Lesiba Sydney
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore and describe the resilience, in particular optimal functioning and coping mechanisms from families affected by unemployment within the City of Johannesburg. In South Africa, unemployment has been a thorny issue over the past decades despite government interventions through the establishment and implementation of various policies. The aftermaths of unemployment have affected the lives of many South African families negatively, most specifically, their functioning and well-being. Therefore, unemployment is attributed as a risk factor that affects many families negatively. The family resilience theory was applied as a theoretical lens asserting that a family can, despite adversity and risk, thrive through the members’ collaborative efforts. This study thus intends to explore the embedded protective factors, coping strategies and thriving potentials families tap into while they are faced by unemployment challenges. A qualitative paradigmatic approach and a multiple case study design were employed to achieve the aim of the study. A purposive and snowball sampling technique was applied to recruit nine participants who met the selection criteria. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews from family members deemed as breadwinners and/or key family providers. Each participant had two interviews which were four months apart, amounting to a total of 18 transcripts. The transcripts were analysed through a hybrid process which incorporated both the inductive and deductive logics of thematic analysis. The findings of this study generated nine themes which were clustered into three domains, namely the family belief systems, organisational patterns or processes, and communication. The results are indicative of key protective factors which facilitated coping and functioning as unemployed families managed to surmount the adversities of unemployment. It therefore implies that, despite the challenges experienced, families demonstrated resilience which is embedded within the identified protective factors.
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Keywords
Dissertation (M.Soc.Sc. (Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2020, Unemployment, Family resilience, Family coping, Family functioning, Protective factors