A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH APPROACH TO AGEING IN A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY IN THE NORTH-WEST PROVINCE OF SOUTH AFRICA

In the Participatory Action Research model (the PAR model) research and action to solve a particular problem in a specific community take place simultaneously (Schurink, 1998:405-418; Strydom, 2001:379-392). The PAR model aims at combining research with direct service delivery for the benefit of the community. Health scientists, and specifically psychosocial behavioural scientists, encounter a philosophical dilemma in the sense that they have to do research according to the requirements of the first world, but in the same time they have to adhere to the requirements of developing countries. In developing countries terminology such as cost effectiveness, utility, limited funds, capacity building, developmental approach, the speedy solution to problems and positive short-term reaction is important in research (White Paper on Social Welfare, 1997)

AN ADAPTED INTERVENTION RESEARCH MODEL: SUGGESTIONS FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

The various existing models of intervention research all have advantages and disadvantages.Postgraduate students, and especially doctoral students in Social Work, have on many occasionsexpressed their dilemma in choosing a specific model of research for intervention procedures.Therefore, many have used the intervention research model or the developmental research andutilisation model, while others have adapted these models to suit their specific researchendeavours. After making a careful study of these two models, an adapted intervention researchmodel will be suggested for use in studies of a combined research and practice nature

Die rol van ’n mentor vir seuns tydens die oorgangsfase van die laat-middelkinderjare na adolessensie

The role of a mentor for boys during their transition phase from late middle childhood to adolescence Boys in their late middle childhood experience far-reaching changes in their lives. Reaching puberty and experiencing the transition from childhood to adolescence causes immense stress and tension. The intensity of the relationship between father and son decreases many times, while involvement with the peer group increases. This article focuses on the experiences of the boys in their late middle childhood regarding their biological father and the influence of the family hierarchy. As alternative father figure, the focus falls on a mentor. The longing for a mentor and the expectations of the boys in their late middle childhood in this regard are explored in this article

DIE BEHOEFTES VAN ADOLESSENTE EN RIGLYNE VIR 'N MIV-/VIGS-HULPVERLENINGSPROGRAM TER VOORBEREIDING OP OUERS SE AFSTERWE

Research was undertaken to determine the needs of adolescents and their experience of the death of their parents due to AIDS. AIDS is a still growing pandemic that is eliminatingthousands of lives in South Africa, whilst influencing the lives of relatives in a dramatic manner. Adolescents, in this particular unique stage of life, suffer most from the consequences of this disease. It is of special significance to adolescents when one or both of their parents die due lo AIDS-related causes. Adolescents have unique physical and emo1ional needs and when a parent or parents die, a vacuum is created in the fulfillment of their needs. In this study, some guidelines for an intervention programme, for adolescents who lost a parent or both parents due to AIDS, are suggested in order to empower adolescents to cope with the situation and to deal with the losses that they have to deal wilh. Community-based care and /he buddy system are but two current social work programmes that can partly be incorporated into this specific programme

Die profiel van die adolessente seun as mentee aan die Weskus

Adolescent boys long to be mentored by an adult male. This influence of the mentor in the life of the adolescent brings forth great changes and consequently the adolescent experiences a higher quality of life. This mentee is not necessarily mentored by his biological father. The adolescent boy as mentee has certain needs within the mentoring relationship, which the mentor has to understand and interpret correctly. If the mentor understands the mentee better within his generation, the relationship may be strengthened. This article focuses on the profile of the adolescent boy as mentee on the West Coast and indeed from the viewpoint of the adolescent

Misdaad en die impak daarvan op die mens – ’n Christelike perspektief

Crime and its impact on man – a Christian perspective Crime is a depressing and frightening reality, especially within the South African context. In this article the following aspects are discussed from the vantage point of a Christian world view: the concept crime, its impact on ‘victims’, and the care-taking of victims’ needs. Crime has a two-sided effect: it affects the victim and the perpetrator as well as their next of kin. Problematic issues regarding crime are outlined in the introductory part of the article. Subsequently a Christian perspective and what this frame of reference implies are discussed. On the basis of this perspective it is argued that crime is in essence a transgression of universal laws as well as of laws applied by governments and other authorities. When one lives lawlessly one implicitly and explicitly does not obey God’s commandment to love one’s neighbour and to honour and glorify God. As a result of the emotional ‘distance’ between a person affected by crime and a perpetrator, a crime-affected person is often not able to react and behave as can be expected of a believer whose way of life is intended to honour God. In addition to possible negative behavioural patterns and reactions, post-traumatic stress can contribute to dysfunctional development of traumatised people’s potential. The Word of God teaches that care should be given to the interests of one’s neighbour (in this case ‘neighbour’ implies both perpetrator and crime-affected person). A person affected by crime deserves the attention and support of both care-giving professionals and of members of the community at large

TOWARDS A SOCIAL NICHE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT

From a social work perspective, individual outcomes are the results of a transactional processbetween personal and environmental influences. It is a long-cherished conviction in SocialWork that individual problems and successes must be framed within the larger context offamily, community and society (Saleebey, 2002c:231). However, it is also a conviction that isoften not reflected in social work practice (Rose, 2000:405; Saleebey, 2002c:230; Weick,2000:398). Clinical practice tends to focus on personal factors, and community practice onenvironmental factors, while the transactional dimension is often not accounted for. Thetendency is also to focus on deficits and problems in these systems and not on strengths orpotential strengths

Contiguous 3d and 4f magnetism: towards strongly correlated 3d electrons in YbFe2Al10

We present magnetization, specific heat, and 27Al NMR investigations on YbFe2Al10 over a wide range in temperature and magnetic field. The magnetic susceptibility at low temperatures is strongly enhanced at weak magnetic fields, accompanied by a ln(T0/T) divergence of the low-T specific heat coefficient in zero field, which indicates a ground state of correlated electrons. From our hard X-ray photo emission spectroscopy (HAXPES) study, the Yb valence at 50 K is evaluated to be 2.38. The system displays valence fluctuating behavior in the low to intermediate temperature range, whereas above 400 K, Yb3+ carries a full and stable moment, and Fe carries a moment of about 3.1 mB. The enhanced value of the Sommerfeld Wilson ratio and the dynamic scaling of spin-lattice relaxation rate divided by T [27(1/T1T)] with static susceptibility suggests admixed ferromagnetic correlations. 27(1/T1T) simultaneously tracks the valence fluctuations from the 4f -Yb ions in the high temperature range and field dependent antiferromagnetic correlations among partially Kondo screened Fe 3d moments at low temperature, the latter evolve out of an Yb 4f admixed conduction band.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

DIE ONTWIKKELING EN INHOUD VAN ’N MAATSKAPLIKE GROEPWERK-BEMAGTIGINGSPROGRAM VIR ALKOHOLAFHANKLIKE BEJAARDES

In hierdie artikel word gefokus op ’n maatskaplike groepwerk-bemagtigingsprogram, ooreenkomstig’n sterkteperspektief, wat ontwikkel en aangebied is vir alkoholafhanklike bejaardesverbonde aan ’n geregistreerde behandelingsentrum. Die voorgenoemde program is deur dienavorsers ontwikkel, gemik op die eiesoortige behoeftes, sterktes en uitdagings van diékliëntegroep

Structural and magnetic properties of E-Fe_{1-x}Co_xSi thin films deposited via pulsed laser deposition

We report pulsed laser deposition synthesis and characterization of polycrystalline Fe1-xCox Si thin films on Si (111). X-ray diffraction, transmission electron, and atomic force microscopies reveal films to be dense, very smooth, and single phase with a cubic B20 crystal structure. Ferromagnetism with significant magnetic hysteresis is found for all films including nominally pure FeSi films in contrast to the very weak paramagnetism of bulk FeSi. For Fe1-xCoxSi this signifies a change from helimagnetism in bulk, to ferromagnetism in thin films. These ferromagnetic thin films are promising as a magnetic-silicide/silicon system for polarized current production, manipulation, and detection.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures accepted in the Applied Physics Letter