scholarly journals Happy In The Informal Economy? A Case Study Of Well-Being Among Day Labourers In South Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 635
Author(s):  
Phillip Blaauw ◽  
Ilse Botha ◽  
Rinie Schenck ◽  
Christie Schoeman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Objective Measure ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Economic Comparison

Past research provided evidence of thenegative effect that individual unemployment can have on subjective well-being.The persistent high levels of unemployment and poverty in South Africa havebeen well documented. Many people are forced into the informal economy, wherethey engage in a variety of survivalist activities such as day labouring. As noprevious study has been conducted on the well-being of day labourers, the aimof this paper is to investigate the determinants of the well-being of South Africanday labourers. Objective and subjective functions are compared to determine therole of income and other variables in the well-being of day labourers. Thedeterminants are categorised according to economic, comparison and attitudinalvariables. The objective function uses income and the subjective function usesthe binary measure of experiencing a good week in terms of wages as dependentvariables. The results showed that comparison variables are importantdeterminants for the subjective measure of well-being, and attitudinalvariables are important for the objective measure of well-being. The economicvariables were important in both functions. The findings of this paper confirmother research findings showing that personal income is important for well-beingin a poor community. The difference between these functions indicates that thesubjective and objective measures of well-being both capture valuablecharacteristics of subjective well-being (SWB) in a poor community.

scholarly journals The subjective well-being of day labourers in South Africa: The role of income and geographical location

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip F. Blaauw ◽  
Ilse Botha ◽  
Catherina Schenck
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Subjective Measures ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Marginalised Groups ◽  
Informal Labour

Background: The informal economy in South Africa provides employment to large numbers of people who would otherwise have no opportunity to earn a living. Yet informal activities, such as day labouring, generate highly uncertain returns. Although it seems reasonable to conclude that day labourers would be dissatisfied with their lives, this is not necessarily the case as several factors contribute to people’s subjective well-being. Aim: This study is in response to a call for more research on the subjective well-being of marginalised groups in South Africa’s informal labour market. Setting: The day labour market in South Africa, whose members congregate at hiring sites hoping to be picked up by passers-by in need of temporary, casual workers. Methods: Using Sen’s Capability Approach, the study builds on earlier research conducted on the general well-being of day labourers in South Africa, with specific focus on their subjective well-being and geographical location. The results from a countrywide survey of 3830 day labourers were used in a regression analysis to compare the subjective well-being among day labourers across the nine provinces of South Africa. Results: There are statistically significant differences in the well-being of day labourers across the nine provinces. Economic variables play a role in both objective and subjective measures of well-being, while attitudinal and comparison variables are significant for the objective and subjective measures, respectively. Conclusions: Although they have to operate in harsh conditions, day labourers in South Africa display agency by choosing to migrate to richer provinces in search of greater economic opportunity and reward. However, these potential gains are often negated by increased levels of competition and thus depressed wage levels. How to nurture marginalised groups’ abilities to exercise agency and take more control of their lives represents fertile ground for researchers in future.

The Difference Diwali Makes: Understanding the Contribution of a Cultural Event to Subjective Well-Being for Ethnic Minority Communities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trudie Walters ◽  
Thamarai Selvi Venkatachalam
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Emotional Connection ◽  
Cultural Events ◽  
Migrant Communities ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Point Of Intersection

This research provides a nuanced understanding of the contribution of cultural events to subjective well-being for ethnic minority migrant communities, who often face significant challenges in their new lives. The paper investigates how the intersection of sense of community and subjective well-being function in this context. It focuses on the Hindu celebration of Diwali/Deepavali (the Festival of Lights) in two New Zealand cities. Data from interviews with event attendees and organisers was thematically analysed using the McMillan and Chavis ‘sense of community’ framework, overlaid with a conceptualisation of subjective well-being developed by Davidson and Cotter. The analysis reveals strong evidence of the creation and maintenance of sense of community at multiple levels, from the diasporic Indian subcommunities through to the wider non-Indian macrocommunity. The most significant components are membership, fulfilment of needs and shared emotional connection: they are also the most significant point of intersection with factors contributing to subjective well-being. These cultural events provide event attendees with opportunities to experience and express positive affects such as happiness, joy, pride, pleasure. They also demonstrate influence in that they respect, promote and support the ethnic minority migrant subcommunity and act as a bridge to form a sense of community with the macrocommunity through membership and shared emotional connection. To maximise these wider benefits, we recommend practitioners hold such events regularly, advertise widely, select venues that are readily accessible and non-threatening, and provide informative explanatory content.

The Influence of COVID-19 Lockdown on Women in the Academy in One Rural University in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-262
Author(s):  
KL Thaba-Nkadimene ◽  
C. Makwara ◽  
D. Mzindle ◽  
M Lebepe ◽  
MS Rabodiba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Network Access ◽  
University Employees ◽  
Women In Academia ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Academic Women ◽  
Mental Wellness

The primary objective of this study was to examine, interrogate and establish the influence of COVID-19 lockdown on the well-being of women in the academy and the roles they play as university employees and family members. This study was premised within interpretivism paradigm, and life history; and diaristic approach was used to understand this phenomenon. Biographies and interviews qualitative techniques were used to collect data from six women in academia in one university in South Africa. The research findings identified the COVID-19 pandemic as a cause of anxiety and restlessness among academic women; the excessive workload and lack of time; difficulties in balancing home and work duties; a lack of access to proper resources to aid job duties and research; and a lack of online resources-data, network access and Blackboard. This study recommended adequate online facilities and the design of the virtual mental wellness programmes to help academic women.

Partners’ Educational Pairings and Subjective Well-Being in China: An Analysis Using the Diagonal Mobility Model

2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2110380
Author(s):  
Xiaohang Zhao ◽  
Skylar Biyang Sun
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobility Model ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Educational Homogamy ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Chinese General Social Survey

Using pooled data from the Chinese General Social Survey in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015, this study investigated the relationship between partners’ educational pairings and subjective well-being among Chinese. Diagonal mobility models were employed to avoid conflating the effect of each partner’s education and the effect of the difference in education between partners. The findings reveal that regarding the well-being consequences of partners’ educational pairings, the hypothesis of satisfaction with marrying up outweighs the hypothesis of educational homogamy advantages and the hypothesis of sex roles. Specifically, for both women and men, persons marrying up in education are more likely to feel happy than their educationally homogamous counterparts. Moreover, educational hypergamy confers more psychological benefits to women in high-income communities than those in low-income communities. In addition, the earnings difference between partners plays a part in men’s SWB. Husbands who earn less than their wives are more likely to be unhappy than those whose earnings are 1–1.5 times those of their wives, suggesting that sex-role norms are at work. Our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the well-being consequences of educational heterogamy.

“I love this stuff!”: a Canadian case study of mentor–coach well-being

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-344
Author(s):  
Trista Hollweck
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Experienced Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coaching Relationship ◽  
Framework Approach ◽  
Stakeholder Perspective ◽  
Research Findings

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a qualitative case study that examined the potential benefits, challenges and implications of the mentor–coach (MC) role as a supportive structure for experienced teachers’ well-being and sense of flourishing in schools.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative case study used data collected from surveys, interviews, focus groups and documentation. Data were coded and abductively analyzed using the “framework approach” with and against Seligman’s well-being PERMA framework. In order to include an alternative stakeholder perspective, data from a focus group with the district’s teacher union executive are also included.FindingsUsing the constituting elements of Seligman’s well-being (PERMA) framework, experienced teachers reported positive emotion, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment from their MC experience. However, the MC role is not a panacea for educator well-being. Rather, the quality and effectiveness of the mentoring and coaching relationship is a determining factor and, if left unattended, negative experiences could contribute to their stress and increased workload.Research limitations/implicationsThe data used in this study were based on a limited number of survey respondents (25/42) and the self-selection of the interview (n=7) and focus group participants (n=6). The research findings may lack generalizability and be positively skewed.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the current lack of empirical research on the MC experience and considers some of the wider contextual factors that impact effective mentoring and coaching programs for educators.

scholarly journals Midwifery matters: resilience and subjective wellbeing of midwives

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Caiazzo ◽  
L Kundisowa ◽  
G Bocci ◽  
N Vonci ◽  
L Alaimo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Subjective Wellbeing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Other ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Italian Version ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Introduction Resilience is the ability to resist, cope with life positively after suffering a negative event. Midwifery has been defined as ’emotionally demanding’; midwives with an higher levels of resilience experience higher levels of subjective well-being (SWB). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between resilience and SWB amongst midwives. Materials and methods Data were collected using a questionnaire, distributed between September 2018-January 2019 in hospitals in the Tuscany region (Italy). For evaluation of SWB, we used OECD scale (2013) evaluating three items: actual happiness (AH); emotive wellbeing (BE) composed of positive (PA) and negative affect (NA) and life satisfaction (LS). Also, job satisfaction (JS) was evaluated. Resilience (RS) was evaluated using the Italian version of the Resilience Scale by Wagnild and Young. All items were expressed on the Likert scale, statistical analysis was performed with Minitab 18. Results In total 123 questionnaires were analyzed. The average scores were: AH: 6.9±1.8; BE: 5.9±1.6; PA: 6.0±1.8; NA: 4.2±2.1; LS: 7.1±1.6; JS: 6.5 ± 2.4. Average R was 130.3±18.1. RS was correlated (p < 0.001) to AH (Coef=0.4), PA (Coef=0.4), BE (Coef=0.3) e LS (Coef=0.4). The sample was divided into three groups according to RS: low (LR)<116, medium (MR):116-139 and high (HR) ≥140. MR represented 44%, followed by HR (35%). AH, PA, BE values were significantly higher in the HR group (ANOVA; Tukey; p < 0.001). For NA the highest values were observed in the LR group, but the difference was not significant. LS resulted significantly lower in LR group (ANOVA; Tukey; p < 0.001) and JS was significantly higher in medium resilience group in confrontation to other two groups (ANOVA; Tukey; p < 0.001). Conclusions Our results confirmed, that the higher levels of RS influenced positively almost all components of SWB (AH, PA, BE, LS). On the other hand to achieve a higher level of JS the level of RS should not be nor too high, nor too low. Key messages Midwifery has been defined as ’emotionally demanding’, higher levels of resilience influenced positively almost all components of subjective wellbeing. The medium resilience was correlated to higher level of job satisfaction.

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