Magister Artium - MA (Child and Family Studies)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10566/11178

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Browsing by Author "Erasmus, Charlene"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Exploring male practitioners’ perceptions, experiences and challenges in early childhood development
    (University of the Western Cape, 2022) Ntsukumbini, Vuyiseka; Erasmus, Charlene
    Gender balance is a major area of interest within the field of social work studies. Many males who are interested in venturing into careers that are associated with early childhood development have been not offered enough support by society. This study aimed at exploring male practitioners’ perceptions, experiences and challenges in early childhood development (ECD). A qualitative approach with an exploratory – descriptive research design was utilised. Three themes were identified and the findings show that the male practitioners are self-motivated to take jobs in ECDs. It was also discovered that there is a perception about male practitioner’s roles and also debunked stereotypes.
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    Gender masculinities of present fathers: Perceptions, experiences and challenges of fathers living with children
    (University of the Western Cape, 2022) Nanima, Barbara Rachel; Erasmus, Charlene
    Fathers play a key role in the life of a child in a family. In South Africa, statistics indicate that 71% of children who have a male adult living in the family, only 36% live with their biological parents. This predicament is exacerbated by the fact that culture presents gender masculinities as a key aspect that informs how fathers treat their children. Gender masculinities refer to socially constructed stereotypes that inform attributes, behaviours, and roles that are generally associated with boys and men. This study explored the perceptions, experiences and challenges of present fathers with regard to gender masculinities.
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    Impact of maternal methamphetamine (“tik”) use on the cognitive development and school readiness of children in early childhood development: a systematic review
    (University of the Western Cape, 2023) Willemse, Abigail; Erasmus, Charlene
    Methamphetamine (MA) is one of the most used synthetic simulants globally and is reportedly the second most prevalent illicit drug. The abuse of methamphetamine among pregnant women is a growing problem worldwide. Exposure to this drug affects children's prenatal and postnatal development, which manifests in the growing child during early childhood development (ECD). Therefore, the current study examined the impact of maternal methamphetamine (‘tik’) use on children’s cognitive development and readiness for school. A systematic review study design was utilised in order to obtain the findings of the study. A systematic review is the reviewing of diverse and inter-related studies in order to provide an interpretive understanding of an issue and present a balanced and impartial summary. The present systematic review critically filtered and evaluated peer-reviewed, full-text studies in the English medium between the years 2010 to 2020 of available research relevant to this particular research question: “What is the impact of maternal methamphetamine use on the cognitive development and school readiness of children in early childhood development?”.
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    Perceptions, experiences and challenges of parents whose children are removed through a statutory process
    (University of the Western Cape, 2020) Harris, Alfred; Erasmus, Charlene
    The 2009 Save the Children, United Kingdom report indicated that eight million children worldwide find themselves in alternative placement. In terms of the statutory process, alternative placement of a child is when a child is placed in foster care or in a child and youth care center. The removal of children from the care of their parents is a statutory process that is driven by issues that put the child’s safety and development at risk. Although children are removed due to a risk factor, Chapter 2 section 28 (1)(b) of the South African Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, states that children have the right to family or parental care, or appropriate alternative care when removed from the family environment. The risks that children are exposed to often take place in the family context. This creates enormous conflict for the social workers that are responsible for their removal. Due to this conflict, parents become less involved in the process and mistrust develops on the side of the parents as well as social workers. Research indicates that the removal process is an adversarial process, which is linked to the fact that the social workers’ concern is for the safety of the child. This often leads to mistrust. This mistrust, in turn, affects the manner in which the social workers interact with the parents through the removal process of their children. This study focused on the perceptions, challenges and experiences of twelve parents residing in the Delft and Goodwood area whose children were removed from their care through a statutory process. The study found that in addition to encountering a number of challenges, the parents experienced the removal process negatively, they did not fully participate in the removal process, and the removal process did not fully meet their expectations. Based on the research findings, a number of recommendations were made to professionals in the field to improve the overall removal process and thereby address the parents’ experiences, expectations and challenges.
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    The phenomenon of absent fatherhood: Perceptions, experiences and challenges of absent fathers and adolescent children
    (University of the Western Cape, 2023) Moila, Witness; Erasmus, Charlene
    The escalating statistics of children who are growing up without the involvement of their fathers is a serious social problem not only in South Africa but globally. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) (2021) indicates that 42% of children is South Africa live with their mothers only as compared to 4% of children who only live with their fathers. The statistics highlight the seriousness of the problem of absent fatherhood in South Africa. The study aimed to explore the perceptions, experiences and challenges of absent fathers and adolescent children regarding absent fatherhood. Bowen’s family systems theory was used as the theoretical framework underpinning this study. The study used a qualitative approach and an explorative and descriptive design. Collected data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) steps of thematic data analysis, and the five themes which emerged were: perceived causes of absent fatherhood, constructions of fatherhood, factors influencing fathers’ absence, adolescents’ experiences of absent fatherhood and challenges faced by adolescents with absent fathers.
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    The perception of measures to reduce the push factors of juvenile crime in South African schools: A Case study of two schools
    (University of the Western Cape, 2018) Matsilele, Justice; Nortje, Nico; Erasmus, Charlene
    The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (2000) emphasizes that all actions which pertains to children should be in their best interest and this includes the welfare of learners in schools. This study sought to explore the perception of measures to reduce the push factors of juvenile crime in two South African schools. A Social Learning Theory was employed as the theoretical lens for this study and a qualitative case study approach, which is explorative and descriptive in nature, was also used. An interview schedule was used to collect data focusing on in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with participants as well as key informants. Convenience sampling, which is a non- probability type of sampling that entails the selection of samples based on their convenience and accessibility was used given the sensitive aspect of this particular study, especially on the identification of research participants. A sample of seven focus groups consisting of seven participants was drawn from the entire population of two selected schools in order to have a minimum of 49 representatives from each school. Audio recordings and transcribed verbatim were analyzed by the researcher as data collection technique. A thematic analysis, which looks across all data to identify common issues and recurring themes, was used. This research sought to be ethically considerate, adhering to codes such as confidentiality, informed consent, voluntary participation and others. Findings indicate that five crimes (substance use, stealing, bullying, physical fights and gangster activity) identified as recurring themes during the general preliminary investigation of juvenile crimes were also identified as common crimes at the two selected schools. Another observation in this study was that school juvenile offenders are generally cognisant of push factors of juvenile crime in schools, but are less informed when it comes to assimilating push factors with measures to reduce juvenile crimes.