An investigation into the implementation of group work, as a method of social work intervention, in health settings in South Africa
- Authors: Caires, Juliet Margarita
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Social group work , Community health services -- South Africa , Medical care -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:691 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006373 , Social group work , Community health services -- South Africa , Medical care -- South Africa
- Description: This research aims to discover whether social workers employed in health settings in South Africa use group work as a method of intervention with patients. It attempts to explore in which hospitals (or particular patient populations) group work is considered possible, and to discover to what extent social workers in health settings consider group work to be beneficial to patients. It also attempts to discover some of the potential difficulties experienced in initiating group work in medical settings. An effort is also made to establish, from social workers active and experienced in the field of medical social work,what place group work might have in the broader context of health services in the future. Data was obtained through the use of mailed questionnaires, which were sent to 186 health settings, across South Africa. These settings were chosen according to the following priorities: i) those known to have social workers ii) services offered (e.g. oncology, psychotherapy) iii) size of the setting iv) geographical location (both urban and rural in all nine provinces). The sample included general public and private hospitals, psychiatric hospitals (both public and private), mining hospitals and other health settings such as old age homes and facilities for the mentally retarded and for alcohol and drug rehabilitation (accompanied by a medical facility). Responses were received from 90 health settings, with 64 of these being completed questionnaires. The majority of responses came from public hospitals, and the least from the mining hospital category. Findings of this study indicate that group work is used by 50% of the health settings in South Africa. Groups are most often therapeutic or educational in nature, are run on average once a week for an hour, and are usually of open membership. Group work is not used in some health settings, most commonly due to insufficient time (on the part of the social worker). From the findings, it seems that many more social workers would like to run groups for patients than they do presently. The benefits of group work are acknowledged by the majority of this study's sample of social workers, and if solutions could be found to problems such as heavy caseloads and insufficient time, more social workers would choose to use group work than are doing so currently. Group work is considered to be a feasible method, both in the hospitals and at primary health care level. With South Africa's growing emphasis on primary health care, and the proposed inclusion (by the Department of Health) of social work services at this level, it is important that social workers find a way in which to meet the needs of patients at both levels. With group work, this may be possible.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: Caires, Juliet Margarita
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Social group work , Community health services -- South Africa , Medical care -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:691 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006373 , Social group work , Community health services -- South Africa , Medical care -- South Africa
- Description: This research aims to discover whether social workers employed in health settings in South Africa use group work as a method of intervention with patients. It attempts to explore in which hospitals (or particular patient populations) group work is considered possible, and to discover to what extent social workers in health settings consider group work to be beneficial to patients. It also attempts to discover some of the potential difficulties experienced in initiating group work in medical settings. An effort is also made to establish, from social workers active and experienced in the field of medical social work,what place group work might have in the broader context of health services in the future. Data was obtained through the use of mailed questionnaires, which were sent to 186 health settings, across South Africa. These settings were chosen according to the following priorities: i) those known to have social workers ii) services offered (e.g. oncology, psychotherapy) iii) size of the setting iv) geographical location (both urban and rural in all nine provinces). The sample included general public and private hospitals, psychiatric hospitals (both public and private), mining hospitals and other health settings such as old age homes and facilities for the mentally retarded and for alcohol and drug rehabilitation (accompanied by a medical facility). Responses were received from 90 health settings, with 64 of these being completed questionnaires. The majority of responses came from public hospitals, and the least from the mining hospital category. Findings of this study indicate that group work is used by 50% of the health settings in South Africa. Groups are most often therapeutic or educational in nature, are run on average once a week for an hour, and are usually of open membership. Group work is not used in some health settings, most commonly due to insufficient time (on the part of the social worker). From the findings, it seems that many more social workers would like to run groups for patients than they do presently. The benefits of group work are acknowledged by the majority of this study's sample of social workers, and if solutions could be found to problems such as heavy caseloads and insufficient time, more social workers would choose to use group work than are doing so currently. Group work is considered to be a feasible method, both in the hospitals and at primary health care level. With South Africa's growing emphasis on primary health care, and the proposed inclusion (by the Department of Health) of social work services at this level, it is important that social workers find a way in which to meet the needs of patients at both levels. With group work, this may be possible.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
SAPS members' experience of diversity and diversity training within the SAPS
- Authors: Everton, Wilma
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Police -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Cross-cultural orientation , Sex discrimination in criminal justice administration -- South Africa , Discrimination in criminal justice administration -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:2973 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002482 , Police -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Cross-cultural orientation , Sex discrimination in criminal justice administration -- South Africa , Discrimination in criminal justice administration -- South Africa
- Description: During this study, an attempt was made to explore the opinions and attitudes of members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) towards issues of diversity before, immediately after and three months after participating in diversity training workshops presented by the SAPS Training Division during 1997 in Port Elizabeth. The aim of this thesis was not to assess the diversity training itself, but to discover if the training, as currently presented, in any way influenced the attitudes of participants. In order to meet this goal, literature and empirical studies were conducted. The literature study sets the theoretical foundation pertaining to the history of the SAPS and the attitudes and prejudices of and diversity among SAPS members. During the empirical research phase, a non-probability purposive sampling procedure was adopted. Four of a range of diversity workshops presented by the Training Division of the SAPS during 1997 were selected for the purpose of this study. An internal SAPS process was used to nominate members to attend the workshops. The researcher requested the participants in each of the four workshops to complete a self-administered questionnaire before as well as after the workshop concerned. Immediately after each of the four workshops, a short interview was held with each attendee. To explore the stability of any change evident from responses on the questionnaires completed after the workshops, the attendees were again requested to complete the same questionnaire three months later. To increase the validity of any conclusion that attitudinal change was related to the workshop, a control group was used. This study has revealed that a cross-spectrum of SAPS members of both sexes and diverse racial backgrounds believe that various forms of discrimination exist within the SAPS. It confirmed that the diversity training presented by the SAPS Training Division is a useful instrument to heighten members' awareness of the different norms and customs of other cultural/ethnic groups and of the necessity that the SAPS should be constituted of a cross-spectrum of racial groups reflecting the South African society. Finally, based on the research findings, recommendations were made involving management and its supportive services and diversity training.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: Everton, Wilma
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Police -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Cross-cultural orientation , Sex discrimination in criminal justice administration -- South Africa , Discrimination in criminal justice administration -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:2973 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002482 , Police -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Cross-cultural orientation , Sex discrimination in criminal justice administration -- South Africa , Discrimination in criminal justice administration -- South Africa
- Description: During this study, an attempt was made to explore the opinions and attitudes of members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) towards issues of diversity before, immediately after and three months after participating in diversity training workshops presented by the SAPS Training Division during 1997 in Port Elizabeth. The aim of this thesis was not to assess the diversity training itself, but to discover if the training, as currently presented, in any way influenced the attitudes of participants. In order to meet this goal, literature and empirical studies were conducted. The literature study sets the theoretical foundation pertaining to the history of the SAPS and the attitudes and prejudices of and diversity among SAPS members. During the empirical research phase, a non-probability purposive sampling procedure was adopted. Four of a range of diversity workshops presented by the Training Division of the SAPS during 1997 were selected for the purpose of this study. An internal SAPS process was used to nominate members to attend the workshops. The researcher requested the participants in each of the four workshops to complete a self-administered questionnaire before as well as after the workshop concerned. Immediately after each of the four workshops, a short interview was held with each attendee. To explore the stability of any change evident from responses on the questionnaires completed after the workshops, the attendees were again requested to complete the same questionnaire three months later. To increase the validity of any conclusion that attitudinal change was related to the workshop, a control group was used. This study has revealed that a cross-spectrum of SAPS members of both sexes and diverse racial backgrounds believe that various forms of discrimination exist within the SAPS. It confirmed that the diversity training presented by the SAPS Training Division is a useful instrument to heighten members' awareness of the different norms and customs of other cultural/ethnic groups and of the necessity that the SAPS should be constituted of a cross-spectrum of racial groups reflecting the South African society. Finally, based on the research findings, recommendations were made involving management and its supportive services and diversity training.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »