The meaning of heart: "faith, charity and children" : an analysis of faith based foster care and children's homes in Cape Town, South Africa
Date
2010-03-02T10:12:37Z
Authors
Lipinski, Thomas Andrew
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Abstract
Abstract:
The author describes and discusses children’s social welfare in Cape Town, South Africa,
particularly in light of faith/religiosity as a motivating factor for charitable actions and activity
among individuals and organisations. He outlines the general environment in which
organisations are operating, draws a number of Faith Based as well as Secular organisations and
individuals into the discussion, and describes the way in which religion and beliefs influence,
moderate, and guide these groups in their daily routines and overreaching objectives and goals.
The author will illustrate the central role that religion and religiosity play both in the initial
impetus to become involved with Child Social Welfare as well as the role that it plays in
retaining both staff and volunteers within this industry. Further, the author will demonstrate the
ways in which religious ideology impacts upon and informs the ideology and policy of the
distinct organisations which are discussed here in an attempt to demonstrate the ways in which
religious ideology interacts both internally within the organisations and externally informing
their relationship with those around them. Finally the author will describe the way in which
religion influences and impacts on the children that are being raised and care for by these
organisations, examining the way in which individual organisations ideologies and religious
positioning changes the children’s upbringing and the goals that they have for the future of the
children.