3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Domestic violence

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    The experiences of domestic violence survivors among migrant women during the COVID-19 lockdown period of 2020- 2021 in Gauteng
    (2023) Guduza, Pamela
    Although historically, men have been the dominant gender in migration, over the past years, there has been a global increase of independent women migration. Women migrate for various reasons including, seeking economic empowerment or independence, escaping conflicts or persecutions, and abuse. But migration offers a variety of opportunities, risks, and vulnerabilities for women migrants. Research shows that in their receiving communities they face challenges such as domestic violence, xenophobia, language barriers, discrimination, and sexual violence. Moreover, global statistics show that among women migrants there was an increase in cases of domestic violence during the COVID-19 induced lockdown period of 2020- 2021. The current study explored the experiences of domestic violence survivors among migrant women during the COVID-19 induced lockdown period of 2020-2021 in Gauteng province (GP), South Africa. This qualitative study was conducted in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, at Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in GP. Initial participants were selected from a database of previous migrant women who accessed services through the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) programme at JRS. Participants were further accumulated using a snowball sampling method, ultimately 17 migrant women were recruited, whom the youngest was aged 18, and the oldest 50 years. A case study was used to explore and understand migrant women survivors’ experiences of domestic violence. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews that were accumulated using an interview guide. Thematic data analysis was used for analysing the data for this study. The feminist theory was the framework that informed the study. It is anticipated that the findings from this study, may add to social work knowledge in guiding appropriate interventions to help alleviate domestic violence among migrant women through social workers. Key findings indicate that lack of legal documentation, unemployment, gender, and unequal power relations increase migrant women’s vulnerability to domestic violence. The study concludes that attempts to address domestic violence among migrant women should include different stakeholders of whose interests are in supporting migrant communities.
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    Managing incidents of domestic violence: lay trauma counselors' perspectives on implementing trauma intervention strategies
    (2014-04-02) Smith, Eulinda V.
    Domestic violence is rife in South Africa and the negative impact thereof is brought by survivors into their homes, communities and workplace settings. Trauma counsellors often take on the work responsibility of intervening in cases of domestic violence to meet the needs of the survivor. Adopting a qualitative research design, the researcher explored the perceptions of trauma counsellors in their workplace setting regarding intervention strategies used when providing services to survivors of domestic violence. Purposive sampling was used to identify 13 adult lay trauma counsellors, both male and female employed by a non-government institution operating as a 24-7 hour Crisis Hotline in the Johannesburg Metropolitan area. The researcher gathered data by conducting personal, semi-structured interviews with research participants. Data analysis took the form of Thematic Content Analysis. The researcher identified that the participants seemed not to be aware of workplace systems and procedural guidelines, and tended to adopt a personalized approach in dealing with survivors of domestic violence. Most participants managed cases utilising ‘early crisis intervention models’ as a once-off trauma intervention strategy although they did not perceive it as being effective. It is thus recommended that such stand-alone intervention strategies should not be implemented unless further follow-up or after-care support is offered to the survivors of domestic violence.
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    Perspectives of Orthodow, Jewish women regarding the perceived effects of Jewish religious and cultural values on women's choices in abusive relationships.
    (2012-02-07) Serebro, Kim Lindy
    This research attempted to gain insight into the perspectives of Orthodox, Jewish women regarding the abuse of women in heterosexual relationships, in their community. Feminist theory and social constructionism were utilised in order to facilitate in greater insight into the roles of women in Judaism and the manner in which Jewish doctrine and ideology influences women who are abused by their husbands. The research focused on specific principles that are intrinsic to Jewish faith and identity. It also explored Jewish persecution and its influence on the formation and perpetuation of many of the Jewish customs and traditions as a means of preserving or upholding Jewish faith. The sample comprised of nine women who fell within an age range of 25-35 years. Jewish women from Orthodox backgrounds were utilised. A qualitative paradigm was applied in order to gain access to information thereby ensuring that the content obtained was of a more personal nature involving the private perceptions of this study’s participants. The following themes were identified from the data and formed the basis upon which the analysis and discussion took place. The themes include: Jewish men treat women according to what men are taught, marriage precipitates acknowledgement of women and the Jewish community is not immune to social ills. The results of the research support the argument that Jewish religious and cultural values appear to influence women’s choices in abusive relationships. Furthermore, the roles that women typically assume in Jewish society seemingly perpetuate existing gender stereotypes in relation to women.
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    The effect of migration on urban migrant women's perceptions of domestic violence.
    (2009-02-11T08:37:59Z) Kiwanuka, Monica
    This qualitative study conducted in Johannesburg and Pretoria, explores the effect of migration on domestic violence. Drawing on the social constructionist and feminist theory, the study investigates how migrant women understand and explain the effect of migration on domestic violence. Participants were identified using purposive and snowball techniques and narratives of fifteen migrant women were employed in data collection using a semi-structured interview guide. Data for this study was analysed using a combination of content, narrative and discourse analysis. Analysis of the data revealed that the context in which domestic violence is experienced greatly shaped how urban migrant women understood and explained domestic violence. Participants explained the meaning and effect of migration on domestic violence mainly drawing on discourses related to their experiences of migration. In addition, their definitions of domestic violence differed from the classical definitions that group domestic violence in categories; given that they drew on actual experiences in the context of migration as opposed to their home country to explain what domestic violence meant and how migration affected it. Further analysis, shows that broader factors in the context of migration including migrant women’s legal status, xenophobia, poverty, unemployment as well as immigration policies, intersected broadly with gender and unequal power relationships to increase migrant women’s vulnerability to domestic violence. Migrant women in this case, drew mainly on such migration related discourses to explain reasons that they felt led to increased domestic violence and to show how and why they endured domestic violence for survival in the absence of love for their spouses. 2 Factors including being migrants, women’s legal status, xenophobia, lack of networks, dependency caused by poverty and high crime rates in South Africa were also seen by migrant women as heightening their fear of public violence leading to the tolerance and preference of private violence as the only available option. Migrant women also idealised their home country as safer from domestic violence to show the negative consequences of migration on women and how it increases domestic violence. In doing so, they drew on the discourse of culture which they understood as tied to place to explain its role in prohibiting and minimising domestic violence, and to justify not using available services for responding to domestic violence in South Africa. In employing such discourses, they intended to show how services for responding to domestic violence in the host country1 were culturally inappropriate for migrant women and the attachments they held towards their home country and culture.
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