"If only they want to hear us out" Parents with Same-sex Sexuality Children and their Experiences with School Involvement

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-111
Author(s):  
Henry James Nichols
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Parental Involvement ◽  
School Involvement ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Learning At Home ◽  
Inclusive Schooling

The parental involvement strategies in the education of their child are crucial to improve learning at home and in school. However, concerning issues of samesex sexuality in South African schools, it is uncertain how schools engage with parents whose child identifies with a non-heterosexuality. We were interested in investigating and exploring the parents experience with school involvement, where the parents under investigation affirm their children s sam-seex sexualities. Using a qualitative research design, through a case study methodology, we conducted, semi-structured interviews with six (6) parents who affirm their children s sam-seex sexuality in the Free State Province (3rd largest Province in South Africa) and t h e Gauteng Province (Largest Province in South Africa). Our findings suggest from our study that the parents who affirm and embrace their child's same-sex sexuality were antagonized with gender binaries, heteronormative, and heterosexist school culture. Their children faced insurmountable acts of discrimination daily. For this specific reason, these parents wanted to be active agents in creating a safe, enabling, and inclusive schooling space for their non-normative sexuality children. The Parents in our study recognized that the idea of such a secure and enabling learning environment did not realise due to traditional cultures, along with the constructions of gender and sexuality. These parents were exposed to negative experiences due to the unwillingness of school authorities, insufficient strategies and values, and norms. We thus endorse a structured approach to parental involvement for all learners regardless of gender expression and sexual orientation. We further advise school governance bodies should affirm learners with diverse sexual orientations through the various policies and legislations.

scholarly journals ‘I Waited for It until Forever’: Community Barriers to Accessing Intellectual Disability Services for Children and Their Families in Cape Town, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (22) ◽  
pp. 8504
Author(s):  
Siyabulela Mkabile ◽  
Leslie Swartz
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Disability Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Interview Guide ◽  
Children With Intellectual Disability

Background: Intellectual disability is more common in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Stigma and discrimination have contributed to barriers to people with intellectual disability accessing healthcare. As part of a larger study on caregiving of children with intellectual disability in urban Cape Town, South Africa, we interviewed a sub-group of families who had never used the intellectual disability services available to them, or who had stopped using them. Methods: We employed a qualitative research design and conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the views and perspectives of parents and caregivers of children with intellectual disability who are not using specialised hospital services. We developed an interview guide to help explore caregivers’ and parents’ views. Results: Results revealed that caregivers and parents of children with intellectual disability did not use the intellectual disability service due to financial difficulties, fragile care networks and opportunity costs, community stigma and lack of safety, lack of faith in services and powerlessness at effecting changes and self-stigmatisation. Conclusion: Current findings highlight a need for increased intervention at community level and collaboration with community-based projects to facilitate access to services, and engagement with broader issues of social exclusion.

scholarly journals Investigating Municipal Procurement Challenges in South Africa: A Qualitative Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
David R.I. Pooe ◽  
Chengedzai Mafini ◽  
Donna Tsakani Makhubele
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Support Strategies

This study explored procurement challenges faced by municipalities in South Africa. A qualitative approach was adopted in which semi-structured interviews were employed to elicit information regarding procurement related challenges encountered by municipalities in South Africa. The respondents consisted of ten individuals who were employed as supply chain managers in different municipalities located in Gauteng Province. The findings of the study show that despite the existent policies and support strategies, municipalities in South Africa still find it difficult to achieve their procurement objectives due to four major inundations; namely, the lack of training, the lack of capacity, the lack of transparency and the failure to comply with existing public procurement policies. The study recommends strategies for addressing the identified performance shortfalls in the area of municipal procurement.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing Readiness for Transformational E-Government: An Empirical Study on Perspective of Local Governments in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fetnani Cecilia
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Construct ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Duality Of Structure

The purpose of the chapter is to explore the readiness of local governments (municipalities) in South Africa to transform to be able to deliver services to its citizens using ICT. The study applied Structuration Theory (ST) and drew on the concepts of duality of structure and action particularly: the enactment of technology-in-practice (ETiP) as a lens to understand and interpret the social construct. The objective was to determine the factors contributing to the readiness of municipalities to adopt ICT to transform the way and manner they deliver essential services to the public. The concept “Transformational e-Government” (TeG) is discussed in this chapter to analyse the determinant factors influencing service delivery. This chapter aimed to analyse the readiness of South African local government when rendering services through information and communication technology (ICT). An interpretive case study methodology where semi-structured interviews were used to collect information. The findings were that out of the 15 participated municipalities only 7% were ready for TeG initiatives, 60% were near ready and 33% have a long way to go to implement TeG initiatives. The results also showed that 5 out of the 8 Metro Cities in South Africa were ready to implement TeG initiatives successfully. The implications of the study were that, the ST is able to provide the lens through which to understand, interpret and determine the factors contributing to the readiness of municipalities to implement TeG to improve service delivery.

Modeling a transformational route to infrastructure sustainability in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasheed Isa ◽  
Fidelis Emuze ◽  
Dillip Das ◽  
Bankole Osita Awuzie
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lean Principles ◽  
Role Players

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for operationalizing the integrated use of lean and sustainability concepts for infrastructure delivery. This model is premised on the need for the attainment of a sustainable built environment through efficient infrastructure delivery. Design/methodology/approach A case study research design was used in assessing five purposively selected cases within Gauteng province in South Africa. These facilities attained Green Building Council of South Africa ratings of 5- to 6-star, for the rating of green buildings and available evidence of integration of lean principles at the developmental stage. Questionnaires were administered to project’s role-players and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the users and facility managers, in order to elicit data for the model development. Questionnaire survey was adopted for the model validation. Findings The lean-sustainability platform for infrastructure delivery demonstrates features such as resources, drivers, barriers, activities, outputs, the results, and the ultimate impact. The findings give insight into various components of the model. It validates its robustness and highlights leadership among other critical factors necessary for successful operationalization of the lean-sustainability ethos required to transform the delivery of infrastructure. Practical implications The developed model provides a transformational route for achieving infrastructure sustainability. The lean-sustainable indicators identified will serve as evaluation tools for assessing lean-sustainability ethos during the delivery phases of infrastructure projects. Originality/value The model provides a new way of thinking about infrastructure project delivery regarding the need to promote sustainability in the built environment.

Life situations and lived experiences of young people who are not in education, employment, or training in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Matli ◽  
Mpho Ngoepe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Young People ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employment Education ◽  
Taking Action

PurposeIn recent years, South Africa has continued to experience a high rate of young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET). The emergence of the concept ‘NEET’ affords researchers an opportunity to more closely examine the life situations and experiences of this population sub-group. The purpose of this paper is thus to further explore the life situations and lived experiences of people in South Africa who are NEET. Structuration theory is adopted to better understand how social structures play a role in the lives of people who are NEET.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were carried out with 24 NEET people over a period of two months in South Africa. This paper presents a section of the findings from a broader study that used self-administered interviews to collect data in three metropolitan municipalities of Gauteng Province, the economic heartland of South Africa.FindingsThe findings indicate that poverty remains an obstacle for many young people in furthering their studies or developing their ideas into businesses. Also evident is that there are NEETs who are taking action to disconnect from the NEET sub-group by means of seeking work, funding, or volunteering for initiatives, among other activities. Lack of financial support affects most NEETs perpetuating their vulnerability and their efforts to detach themselves from their NEET status. It is evident that most NEETs who took part in this study are still seeking opportunities to become economically active, regardless of their current financial situations.Originality/valueThere remains a lack of adequate exploration and understanding of the experiences and life situations of people who are NEET. The relevance of this study is in its contribution towards extending the applicability of structuration theory to understanding the life situations of people who are NEET in South Africa. This study contributes to the literature by providing the experiences and life situations of people who are NEET in a country with already high levels of inequalities. It is hoped that this study may provide the basis for developing more specific policy solutions able to address the NEET issues in South Africa and in society more generally.

scholarly journals Women In Action: Challenges Facing Women Entrepreneurs In The Gauteng Province Of South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Chinomona ◽  
Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The Government ◽  
Modern Era

In today’s post-modern era, the role of women entrepreneurs in economic development is inevitable and women are willing to take action in business and contribute to the nation’s growth. Women are stepping up to own and run businesses in numbers that would have been hard to imagine a mere few decades ago. However, women entrepreneurs face a wide variety of challenges both in starting and in growing their business ventures. The objective of this paper is to investigate the challenges women entrepreneurs face in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Exploring the challenges that women entrepreneurs face in South Africa, is of paramount interest to potential women entrepreneurs, researchers, the government of South Africa and other stakeholders. The paper used a qualitative research design using in-depth interviews and focus groups. The findings were that the challenges were identified as impediments to women entrepreneurs, which comprises lack of education and training, lack of access to finance, gender discrimination, negative attitudes and inadequate resources. Recommendations were made to women entrepreneurs, to the government of South Africa and other stakeholders. Lastly, limitations of this paper as well as future research directions were enunciated clearly.

scholarly journals E - Learning during Covid-19 – Perspectives of Academics in a Crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 564-576
Author(s):  
Remigio Chingara ◽  
Piet Muparuri ◽  
Denias Muzenda
Keyword(s):  
Administrative Support ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
The People ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The Cost

This study offers insights into how e learning, can be sustained in universities in developing countries, using a minimalist approach, during a crisis such as Covid-19. The banning of face-to-face classroom teaching in Zimbabwean universities and the adoption of e learning motivated it. Whilst this was unexpected, unprepared for, with no precedent or blue print, very few studies appear to pay attention to the perspectives of the academics - the people who are doing the teaching of the students and from a developing country perspective. Apparently, those studies that have been conducted to date are largely quantitative and appear to concentrate on the perspectives of students. To address this gap, this study explores how academics at one school and in one department at a university in Masvingo province of Zimbabwe were teaching their students, the challenges they were encountering and the opportunities that were presenting themselves. The researchers adopted a qualitative research design, using a case study methodology, with a sample of eighteen (18) purposively selected participants (lecturers). The study used semi-structured interviews to collect data, using WhatsApp because of the imposed lockdown restrictions. Findings reveal that lecturers at this university were using only a few communication applications to teach their students. They cite challenges of the cost of connectivity as well as lack of administrative support as impediments to e learning and teaching. They however highlight training in e-learning technologies and provision of data as opportunities that have arisen.

Training Needs for Teachers Teaching Children With Autism in Special Schools

2021 ◽  
pp. 83-100
Author(s):  
Nausheen Ameen
Keyword(s):  
Children With Autism ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Special Schools ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenology ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Study Methodology

This chapter focuses on the training needs of teachers teaching children with autism in special schools in South Africa. It outlines the type of training, competencies, and perceptions of teachers teaching children with autism in special schools. A qualitative phenomenology multiple case study methodology was used. In-depth semi-structured interviews, observations, and field notes were conducted with eight teachers from four different schools in Gauteng Province. The study showed that the training received by teachers assisted them with a general overview of autism and how to use various strategies to teach children with autism. Evidence showed that there was a lack of additional training and monitoring of the training provided in some instances. It highlighted teachers' preferences on the sources of training with private providers being preferred over the training received by The Gauteng Department of Education due to reasons that include perceptions of expertise and training procedures.

scholarly journals The Management of Parental Involvement in Multicultural Schools in South Africa: A Case Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-82
Author(s):  
Sathiapama Michael ◽  
Charl C. Wolhuter ◽  
Noleen Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Parental Involvement ◽  
Intercultural Sensitivity ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Low Expectations ◽  
Multicultural Schools ◽  
Parental Involvement In Schools

The aim of this study was to investigate the management of parental involvement in three multicultural schools in the Umlazi District in Durban, South Africa. A literature survey resulting in a theoretical framework on parental involvement in schools, multicultural schools, and themanaging of parental involvement in schools has been done. The contextual background of schools in contemporary South Africa is depicted. A qualitative research design has been used. Focus group discussions have been conducted, with a total of thirty-three principals, teachersand parents. It has found that there is a low level of meaningful contact between school and parents. Apathy exists on the side of parents, low expectations on the side of principals and teachers, and an organisational structure facilitating parent-school interaction is lacking. In managing parental involvement in multicultural schools, school managers displaya lack of intercultural sensitivity. 

scholarly journals ‘I Waited for It Until Forever’: Community Barriers to Accessing Intellectual Disability Services for Children and Their Families in Cape Town, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siyabulela Mkabile ◽  
Leslie Swartz
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Disability Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Interview Guide ◽  
Children With Intellectual Disability

1) Background: Intellectual disability is more common in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Stigma and discrimination have contributed to barriers to people with intellectual disability accessing healthcare. As part of a larger study on caregiving of children with intellectual disability in urban Cape Town, South Africa, we interviewed a sub-group of families who had never used the intellectual disability services available to them, or who had stopped using them; 2) Methods: We employed a qualitative research design and conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the views and perspectives of parents and caregivers of children with intellectual disability who are not using specialised hospital services. We developed an interview guide to help explore caregivers’ and parents’ views; 3) Results: Results revealed that caregivers and parents of children with intellectual disability did not use the service due to financial difficulties, fragile care networks and opportunity costs, community stigma and lack of safety, lack of faith in services and powerlessness at effecting changes, and self-stigmatisation; 4) Conclusion: Current findings highlight a need for increased intervention at community level and collaboration with community-based projects to facilitate access to services, and engagement with broader issues of social exclusion.

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