Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Community development : a quest for social change or social submission : (towards a model of change for South Africa)
Bibliography: pages 136-148.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Social Development
2016
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613217154400256 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van Heerden, Debbie |
| author2 | Wentzel, Wilfred |
| author_browse | Van Heerden, Debbie Wentzel, Wilfred |
| author_facet | Wentzel, Wilfred Van Heerden, Debbie |
| author_sort | Van Heerden, Debbie |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Bibliography: pages 136-148. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/21150 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:37.404Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Department of Social Development |
| publisherStr | Department of Social Development |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/21150 Community development : a quest for social change or social submission : (towards a model of change for South Africa) Van Heerden, Debbie Wentzel, Wilfred Community development - South Africa Social Planning and Administration Bibliography: pages 136-148. The thesis attempts to address the dubious statement of conventional community development that the approach is neutral. The central question asked was 'Is community development a value neutral approach established to meet the needs of communities or does it have another function?' Arguing that no approach that deals with people and which was specifically formulated by persons in a definite ideological context can be neutral, the author then sets about proving that the community development approach is closely aligned to the conservative structural functionalist perspective. An analysis was made of the central tenets of the structural functionalist position and central themes of community development examined as to the basis of their assumptions. It became obvious that a very close correlation exists between the community development approach and the structural functionalist position. Once this had been established the broader ramifications of working within this theoretical position were explored. A number of observations were made in this regard. It was argued that community development could never achieve its goals while working within this framework as it failed to address the real structural problems in society. In supporting the existing social order, the emphasis is shifted away from society as a cause of problems and emphasis, incorrectly, placed on individual communities. Persons are thus expected to find solutions to problems they had no part in causing. Thus, within a South African context, a status quo is supported which propagates inequality, injustice and social deprivation. It was then argued that an alternate approach should be sought which addresses the fundamental social problems. A starting point for this approach could be an acceptance on the part of the community development approach of its inherent political nature and clarification as to how this effects the approach. It was suggested that in the South African context exponents should take their lead from the oppressed communities and their expression of need. One such pointer was the Freedom Charter which was drawn up in 1955 by a democratic grouping of the population. In order to give substance to the theoretical argument the arguments were focussed on a rural South African community where research was conducted. 2016-08-05T10:53:25Z 2016-08-05T10:53:25Z 1988 Master Thesis Masters MSocSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21150 eng application/pdf Department of Social Development Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Community development - South Africa Social Planning and Administration Van Heerden, Debbie Community development : a quest for social change or social submission : (towards a model of change for South Africa) |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Community development : a quest for social change or social submission : (towards a model of change for South Africa) |
| title_full | Community development : a quest for social change or social submission : (towards a model of change for South Africa) |
| title_fullStr | Community development : a quest for social change or social submission : (towards a model of change for South Africa) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community development : a quest for social change or social submission : (towards a model of change for South Africa) |
| title_short | Community development : a quest for social change or social submission : (towards a model of change for South Africa) |
| title_sort | community development a quest for social change or social submission towards a model of change for south africa |
| topic | Community development - South Africa Social Planning and Administration |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21150 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vanheerdendebbie communitydevelopmentaquestforsocialchangeorsocialsubmissiontowardsamodelofchangeforsouthafrica |