4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions
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Item A case study of homeless women living on the streets of Braamfontein, Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-03) Msimango, Thando Dimakatso; Gerrand, PriscillaHomelessness is a global concern. Several factors that trigger homelessness, such as natural disasters and wars, poor education, poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence and mental illness, have frequently been identified. South Africa has seen an increase in the number of people living on the streets of its major cities. This has culminated in the initiation of different research studies looking into the phenomenon of homelessness. However, there seems to be a gap in the studies looking at the plight of homeless women within the Braamfontein area of Johannesburg. Therefore, this study explored the experiences of homeless women living on the streets of Braamfontein and is based on a constructivist paradigm. The study adopted a qualitative approach, and a single case study design was adopted. Snowball sampling was used to select 13 participants who met the selection criteria. A semi-structured interview guide was used as a research tool, and one-on-one-in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Thematic analysis was also used to analyse the data. The study can contribute to developing and enhancing gender-specific intervention programmes earmarked for women living on the streets of Braamfontein in Johannesburg. It is hoped that the study might also initiate debates around the subject matter. Recommendations are made for future research.Item Women’s social entrepreneurship: a bridge to social development and local economic growth in Gauteng, South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Montse, Mmabatho Priscilia; Ngcobozi, LihleThe South African government and the private business sector have been unable to create employment opportunities that meet the population’s needs. In light of this, entrepreneurship has become an essential catalyst for growth in the small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) sector and a driving force behind the rapid expansion of social development (Li, Yaoqi, Huang, Songshan, Song, Lihong, 2020). It is in this context that social enterprises are a logical approach to bridging the economic gap. According to Canestrino, Cwiklicki, Magliocc and Pawelek (2020), the definition of social entrepreneurship is often unclear because of the lack of consistency, gaps in the literature and competing theoretical frameworks. Teasdale, McKay, Phillimore and Teasdale (2011), however, state that social enterprises often start off as community projects used by social entrepreneurs in their quest for change; the same authors also point out that these individuals are mainly active in the social and gender equality, human rights and environmental areas. According to literature, a social enterprise may describe a wide range of enterprises in different industries in the business, government and non-profit sectors. Social entrepreneurs are characterised by strong moral and ethical commitment, leadership, enthusiasm, a passion for meeting social needs and a sensitivity to environmental issues. While social entrepreneurship is developing, women’s leadership and entrepreneurship styles – which often lend themselves to socially conscious ways of doing business – are rarely explored (Davis & Abdiyeva, 2012). Women’s social entrepreneurship as a bridge between local economic growth and social development has been given little consideration. This study was conducted in this context of women’s leadership in social entrepreneurial activities and these activities supporting social development. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that women leading social enterprises has on the social development of their communities. By applying a gendered analysis, a feminist framework and entrepreneurship perspectives, the researcher sought to explore how female social entrepreneurs lead, empower others and contribute to local economic growth in their communities. The study adopted the interpretivism research philosophy and qualitative research approach, and used the interview research strategy. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from participants with extensive experience in this field. The data collected from these interviews were processed using thematic analysis. 9 Themes such as empowerment, leadership, mentorship and social development emanated from the participants’ understanding of their roles in society and indicate that women’s social entrepreneurship positively transforms society and sociocultural order. Overall, the participants highlighted that women can bring about social development through leadership and entrepreneurship and could have more impact if they received more support. It was found that the participating female social entrepreneurs' goals and objectives in establishing their enterprises were to bridge the inequality gap and create and improve accessibility to opportunities for women and minority groups. The findings of this study suggest there is a need to expand the scope of research on women's social entrepreneurship in the context of developing economiesItem Coaching as a practice to develop and support social service professionals in the Gauteng Provincial Government(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Hartmann, Amanda Marié; Magida, AyandaThis research explored how Social Service Professionals (SSPs) in the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) perceive the role of coaching as a practice to develop and support the professionalisation of SSPs in the said department. For this basic qualitative study, semi-structured interviews assisted with data collection from fifteen (15) participants employed as SSPs in GDSD. Key findings are that coaching as a practice is non-existent for SSPs in GDSD and that the critical success factors for coaching in GDSD are no different from that in any other organisation. Most participants supported the contribution that coaching could be a practice to develop and support service professionals. Participants further indicated they would prefer a layered approach to introducing coaching to specific levels of staff in the SSP category. Participants favoured a systematic introduction of coaching to ensure its long-term sustainability and highlighted the organisational and personal hindrances that could impact its adoption and effectiveness as a practice. The study contributes to a body of knowledge on the relevance of coaching for SSPs.