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Doing hope with children who have been living on the street

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.

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Main Author: Smuts, Meryl Frances
Other Authors: Newmark, Rona
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2011
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access_status_str Open Access
author Smuts, Meryl Frances
author2 Newmark, Rona
author_browse Newmark, Rona
Smuts, Meryl Frances
author_facet Newmark, Rona
Smuts, Meryl Frances
author_sort Smuts, Meryl Frances
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16503
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:41:54.752Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2011
publishDateRange 2011
publishDateSort 2011
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16503 Doing hope with children who have been living on the street Smuts, Meryl Frances Newmark, Rona Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. Homeless children -- Services for -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Street children -- Services for -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Dissertations -- Education Theses -- Education Huis Rus-en-Vrede Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research journey explores the lived experiences of children who had previously been living on the street and were now part of a house being managed by two voluntary organisations. The caregivers and boys are incorporated as co-researchers in a participatory action research journey within a post-modern, social constructivist paradigm. The following research curiosities inform the study: • How do the caregivers and children in the house stand up to homelessness and poverty? • How do their stories reflect the notion of doing hope? Positioning myself within the research journey necessitates the discussion of beliefs and constructs that inform the paradigm, such as post-modernism, social constructionism, discourses and the deconstruction of discourses. According to Denzin and Lincoln (1994:14), the research strategy comprises the practical application of the assumptions underlying the paradigm through the use of certain skills, and can be regarded as the paradigm in action which provides the methods for the researcher to engage in the research journey. In this study, a qualitative method is used to describe and understand human behaviour and the meaning attached to it in the participant's own terms. The coresearchers participate during all the aspects of the research journey, and the cyclical nature of participatory action research described by Babbie and Mouton (2001:315- 316) is honoured. The narrative approach is used in conducting the conversations. According to White (1991:28), it is a non-recriminatory, power-sharing way of interaction that provides a context where the consciousness and knowledges of the person are at the centre of the process of consultation. An opportunity is created for the boys and caregivers to story their experiences and to explore the meanings that they attach to these experiences. The main ethical principles that operate are autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and validity. Tape-recordings, transcriptions, reflections and letters are used to document the research journey. Homelessness and poverty had been dictating certain behaviours to the boys, and it was even dictating their lived identities. At the time of the research journey, the caregivers are creating a community of support that is effectively doing hope for the boys, thus enabling them to loosen the grip of poverty and homelessness. Personal reflections indicate that I as researcher am not unaffected by the research journey. Although obstacles present themselves during the research journey, new possibilities are opened up for further exploration. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsreis ondersoek die ervarings van kinders wat voorheen op straat gewoon het en wie nou in 'n huis woon wat deur twee vrywillige organisasies bestuur word. Die versorgers en seuns word betrek as medenavorsers in 'n deelnemende aksienavorsingsreis binne die raamwerk van 'n postmodernistiese, sosiaal konstruktivistiese paradigma. Die studie word toegelig deur die volgende navorsings-ondersoeke: • Hoe weerstaan die versorgers en kinders in die huis die impak van woningloosheid en armoede? • Hoe reflekteer die stories wat hulle vertel die idee van 'hoop doen'? Ten einde myself binne die navorsingsreis te posisioneer noodsaak 'n bespreking van die oortuigings en samestellings onderliggend aan die paradigma, soos postmodernisme, sosiaal konstruktivisme, diskoerse en die dekonstruksie van diskoerse. Volgens Denzen en Lincoln (1994:14) behels die navorsingsstrategie die praktiese uitvoering van die opvattings onderliggend aan die paradigma deur die toepassing van sekere vaardighede. Die navorsingsstrategie kan beskou word as die paradigma in aksie deurdat dit die metodes vir die navorser verskaf om betrokke te raak by die navorsingsreis. 'n Kwalitatiewe metode word tydens hierdie studie gebruik om menslike gedrag te beskryf en te verstaan en om vas te stel watter betekenis die deelnemers self aan hulle belewenisse heg. Die medenavorsers neem deel aan alle aspekte van die navorsingsreis en die sikliese aard van deelnemende aksienavorsing soos beskryf deur Babbie en Mouton (2001:315-316) word gerespekteer. 'n Narratiewe benadering word tydens die gesprekke gebruik. Volgens White (1991:28) is die narratiewe benadering nie-blamerend en is daar 'n gelyke verdeling van mag. 'n Konteks word geskep waar die bewustelikhede en kennisse van die persoon sentraal geplaas word in die konsultasieproses. 'n Geleentheid word geskep vir die seuns en versorgers om hulle ervarings te vertel en om die betekenisse wat hulle aan die ervarings heg te eksploreer. Hoofsaaklik word outonomie, niekwaadwilligheid, goedgesindheid en geldigheid as etiese beginsels gerespekteer. Bandopnames, transkriberings, refleksies en briewe word gebruik om die navorsingsreis te dokumenteer. Woningloosheid en armoede het vantevore die gedrag van die seuns, sowel as die identiteite wat hulle uitgeleef het, voorgeskryf. Ten tye van die navorsingsreis is die versorgers besig om 'n gemeenskap van ondersteuning te skep wat effektief hoop doen vir die seuns en wat hulle in staat stel om die greep van woningloosheid en armoede te verbreek. Persoonlike refleksies dui aan dat ek as navorser nie onaangeraak gelaat word deur die navorsingsreis nie. Struikelblokke verskyn tydens die navorsingsreis, maar nuwe moontlikhede baan die weg vir verdere eksplorasie. Masters 2011-10-03T12:40:28Z 2011-10-03T12:40:28Z 2004-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/16503 en_ZA Stellenbosch University application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Homeless children -- Services for -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch
Street children -- Services for -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch
Dissertations -- Education
Theses -- Education
Huis Rus-en-Vrede
Smuts, Meryl Frances
Doing hope with children who have been living on the street
title Doing hope with children who have been living on the street
title_full Doing hope with children who have been living on the street
title_fullStr Doing hope with children who have been living on the street
title_full_unstemmed Doing hope with children who have been living on the street
title_short Doing hope with children who have been living on the street
title_sort doing hope with children who have been living on the street
topic Homeless children -- Services for -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch
Street children -- Services for -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch
Dissertations -- Education
Theses -- Education
Huis Rus-en-Vrede
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/16503
work_keys_str_mv AT smutsmerylfrances doinghopewithchildrenwhohavebeenlivingonthestreet