'n Narratief-pastorale benadering in maatskaplike werk - Moore, Anna Gesina (University of the Free State, 2004)
The arrival of the new millennium was greeted with great excitement, but the concerned feeling one gets when looking around, is one of negativity, pessimism, trauma and despair. Many people feel lost, accompanied by deep personal insecurities, pain, sadness and a feeling of total failure. The reason for this state of affairs has relevance to the current political and social structures because it offers no personal stability. It is thus deemed necessary that the dejectedness that got hold of many South Africans has to be transformed into faith and trust in the future. One may justly ask how does one learn to survive if one’s whole world has come to nothing. The search for answers to this cardinal question is the research field that has been investigated through an explorative and descriptive study. The investigation was done in four logical phases. The first phase consists of the planning of the research and serves as a determining summary giving an indication of why and how the investigation is planned and how the subject-matter will be presented. In the second phase attention is given to problem-formulation and the development of a theoretical framework for a pastoral-social layout. To achieve this, attention is given to the implications of anthropological paradigms, post modern narrative principles, and pastoral theological narrative principles. Furthermore the history of social work is explored with emphasis on the role that religion plays. In addition methods utilized in pastoral therapy to acknowledge the existence of a spiritual dimension has been attended to. In the third phase follows a discussion on a diaconiologically based narrative pastoral perspective for social work. In addition to that a theoretical and practical based framework comprising of narrative principles and techniques is attended to. In the discussion of perspectives on a basis theory for social work, reference is made to: a narrative pastoral epistemology, the development of Biblical based narrative perspectives, narratives, stories, the utilization of stories based on Biblical principles, the use of stories in a therapeutic context, cultural values and stories, and diaconiologically based narrative-therapeutic principles for social work. Based on the aforementioned theory, attention is given to narrative therapeutic perspectives such as: the beginning of a therapeutic interview, deconstruction theories, externalising, re-authoring of stories, ceremonies, remembering discussions and taking it back actions. In the last phase of the study attention is given to the execution of a limited phenomenological investigation. For this purpose a focus group has been used. The data gathered from the focus group discussion is interpreted in a hermeneutical manner to draw certain conclusions to support the literature review. To complete this phase, conclusions are made of the preliminary investigation in an explorative way with applicable recommendations to be implemented in practice. In substance the conclusions and recommendations are the following: At this point of time we live in an era of postmodernism. Science cannot escape the influence of post modern thought. The essence that has to be noted in an interview, is the moving away from firm values and firm interpretations. Language is allocated with the status of a regulatory norm that counts. It denies the existence of any truth or principles. All attempts to create truth are deconstructed by using language. The existence of the Bible, that it is God’s Word and that it has a transcendent character, is rejected. In reaction to post modernistic narrative approaches and current social problems such as social decline (ethical development), material needs (poverty) and spiritual needs (pastoral eschatology) it has been found that Christian social work grounded in a pastoral design can make a contribution to change the current decline in society. It can be done by using Christian narrative principles. In this way man is made aware of Transcendent Hope as well as a lifestyle with an immortality view.

Die aanbreek van die nuwe millennium is met groot opgewondenheid begroet, maar die bewuste aanvoeling wat ‘n mens kry as jy om jou kyk is dié van negatiwiteit, pessimisme, trauma en wanhoop. Baie mense voel verdwaal, gepaardgaande met diep persoonlike onsekerhede en gevoelens van hartseer, pyn en totale mislukking. Die oorsaak vir hierdie toedrag van sake hou verband met die huidige politieke en sosiale strukture omdat dit geen persoonlike stabiliteit bied nie. Dit blyk noodsaaklik dat die meedoënlose moedeloosheidsindroom wat baie Suid-Afrikaners beetgepak het, omskep moet word in geloofs- en toekomsvertroue. ‘n Mens kan tereg vra hoe leer ‘n mens om te oorleef as jou hele leefwêreld in duie gestort het. Die soeke na antwoorde op hierdie kardinale vrae is die navorsingsveld van hierdie studie. Die ondersoek is uitgevoer in vier logiese fases. Die eerste fase bestaan uit die beplanning van die navorsing en dien as ‘n oriënterende opsomming wat ‘n aanduiding gee waarom en hoe die ondersoek beplan word en hoe die stof aangebied word. In die tweede fase word die ondersoekvrae waardeur die studie gerig word, benut om die probleemstelling waardeur die studie gerig word, te verken. Vir dié doel is die implikasies van antropologiese paradigmas, postmoderne narratiewe en pastoraal teologiese narratiewe beginsels en die ontstaangeskiedenis van maatskaplike werk met spesiale aandag aan die rol wat godsdienstige beginsels in die ontwikkeling van die beroep gespeel het, verken. In aansluiting daarby is ondersoek na metodes wat in pastorale terapie benut word, gedoen vir die verrekening van die geestelike dimensie. Voortvloeiend uit hierdie verkenning volg ‘n derde fase waarin aandag aan ‘n bespreking van ‘n diakonologiesgefundeerde basis- en praktykteorie vir narratief-pastorale maatskaplike werk perspektiewe gegee is. In die bespreking van die basisteoretiese perspektiewe word gebruik gemaak van die teorie van narratiewe terapie en Bybelse beginsels. Die volgende temas is as deel van die ondersoek bespreek: ‘n Perspektiwistiese narratief-pastorale basisteoretiese epistemologie, die oorsprong van Bybelsgefundeerde narratiewe perspektiewe, ‘n bespreking van die begrippe narratief en verhaal, en die gebruik van stories en storievorme ooreenkomstig Bybelse beginsels, betekenisgewing aan ‘n storie as ‘n terapeutiese konsep, die kulturele waarde wat aan stories binne ‘n narratief-pastorale perspektief gegee word, perspektiwistiese diakonologiesgefundeerde narratief-pastorale beginsels vir maatskaplike werk, narratief-pastorale terapeutiese gespreksperspektiewe soos die aanvang van die gesprek, dekonstruksie, eksternalisering, herskryf van die storie, seremonies, herinneringsgesprekke en die terug-neem-aksie. In die laaste fase van die ondersoek is uitvoering gegee aan ‘n beperkte fenomenologiese ondersoek. Vir díe doel is gebruik gemaak van ‘n fokusgroepbespreking. Die data wat tydens die fokusgroepbespreking ingesamel is, is op ‘n hermeneuties-interpreterende wyse benut om aanvullend tot die teoretiese literatuurstudie narratief-pastorale praktykteoretiese perspektiewe vir maatskaplike werk daar te stel. As afhandeling van hierdie fase is die gevolgtrekkings wat in die voorafgaande ondersoek gemaak is, met toepaslike aanbevelings vir praktyk implementering beskryf. In hoofsaak kom die gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings op die volgende neer: Die mens leef tans in ‘n postmoderne era. Die wetenskap kan nie die invloed van postmoderne denke ontvlug nie. Die essensie waarom dit in onderhoudvoering ooreenkomstig postmodernistiese denke gaan, is die wegbeweeg van vaste waardes en vaste interpretasies. Taal word verhef tot die norm waarvolgens uitdrukking aan gebeure gegee word. Die bestaan van Bybelse waarhede en dat dit ‘n Transendente karakter het, word deur postmoderniste verwerp. Teenoor postmodernistiese narratiewe perspektiewe bied ‘n diakonologiese gefundeerde epistemologie ‘n aansluitingsmoontlikheid vir die gebruik van Bybelsgebaseerde pastoraal-narratiewe terapie in Christelike maatskaplike werk. Met betrekking tot die huidige manifesterende maatskaplikewerkprobleme in die samelewing, te wete maatskaplike verval (normatief-etiese ontwikkelingsvlak), materiële nood (armoede, trauma, pyn) en geestelike nood (pastoraal-eskatologies) is bevind dat Christelike maatskaplike werk gefundeer in ‘n pastorale ontwerp, ‘n bydrae kan maak tot die verligting van neerdrukkende maatskaplike omstandighede, wat aanleiding tot wanhoop gee. Die verrekening van die geestelike dimensie vind aansluiting by die mens se geloof in God. Hierdie geloofsversterkende gebeure maak die mens-in-nood opnuut bewus van ‘n eskatologiese dimensie en Christelike hoop.
Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work))--University of the Free State, 2004
Keywords: Storytelling -- Religious aspects; Narrative therapy; Counseling -- Religious aspects; Storytelling - Religious Aspects