The study investigated the career narratives of six South African Black Social Workers in the selected public hospitals. A qualitative research study was used to discover the career narratives of the South African Black Social Workers who were research participants.
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
- Introduction
- Statement of the Problem
- Brief Summary of the Methodology
- Research Objectives
- Chapter Outline
What contextual factors (eg gender, culture and socio-politics) have influenced the career development of Black African Social Workers in South Africa. What role did interpersonal factors play in the career development of Black African Social Workers.
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Introduction
Historical Perspective
John Holland’s Theory of Vocational Choice
Super’s Life Span, Life Space Approach Theory
Indigenous Career Theory
Narrative Research Paradigm as a New Approach
The Role of Gender and Culture on Career Development
The Impact of Political Factors on Career Development
Theoretical Framework of the Study
Conclusion
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
It includes a research approach that was used to explore the career narratives of six South African black social workers. We will discuss the sampling method adopted to identify Black African social workers who told their career development stories. In this chapter, we will discuss the process and procedure used in data collection and analysis, as well as other issues of research methodology such as validity and ethical considerations.
Objectives of the Study
Research Design
The current study therefore used a qualitative research methodology to explore the narratives of black South African social workers and their career development. Thus, the qualitative research approach was appropriate for the present study, which explored the narratives of black South African social workers and their career development. According to Bogdan and Taylor (1976), a shortcoming of qualitative methodology lies in how researcher bias can affect the process of data collection and interpretation.
The researcher in the current study was very critical of their own bias and influence in collecting. The researcher of the current study did not attempt to generalize the findings; rather, the aim was to deepen understanding of the career development of six black South African social workers through their stories.
Research Participants
The second criticism that Bogdan and Taylor (1976) made against the Qualitative approach is the fact that Qualitative studies do not aim to generalize their findings to the rest of the population. As such, the present study was interested in investigating the career narratives of Social workers because there appears to be limited research on the career narratives of Black African Social workers. Inclusion criteria for the selection of participants were that participants had to be Social Workers for a minimum of five years, because the study was interested in a career development over a period of time, and they had to be Black South Africans.
In terms of professional experience, five or more years of experience also ensured that participants were not new social workers who had not fully experienced the various pitfalls of the profession. Professional' referred to black African social workers with a university qualification who were currently working as social workers.
Type of Sampling
45 and Frizelle (2000), black South Africans enter social professions such as social work because of their desire to help their community, which is a result of their belonging to a collectivist culture. 46 The purposive sampling technique thus enabled the study to find and identify social workers who were black African and met all the requirements for an in-depth investigation to gain a deeper understanding of their career development. Snowball sampling is a method that uses participant services to identify multiple participants with the same inclusion criteria as them (Neuman, 2011).
The Durban hospital was contacted and black African social workers who met the selection criteria were asked to volunteer for an interview.
Data Collection
The narratives thus enabled the researcher to explore the career development process from the participant's perspective. A career may be an anticipated journey, or an individual may decide along the way to change direction and explore another career when they lose interest in the original career. Traditionally, the career development journey was understood from the trait and factor approach and other widely used research methods; however the contradictions encountered during the career process can be better explored and ultimately understood from the narrative approach (Bujold, 2004).
Narratives were therefore appropriate for the current study because participants were able to present their career development stories from their own subjective voice, from late adolescence to their current age.
Instruments Used
Data Analysis
The researcher read the interview to look for common themes and complications in the social workers' responses. The researcher sought their own responses to the social workers' narratives and considered how their own assumptions and views may have influenced the social workers who told their stories. In this second reading, the researcher pays attention to how social workers felt about their career development.
The researcher read the interview to look for clues about how social workers thought about the contextual factors of their career development and the meaning they attributed to their career development. In this reading, the researcher sought out the social workers' accounts of how they related to the broader context of cultural environments.
Validity and Rigour
Ethical Considerations
They were informed that their participation would be unpaid and that they would be unidentified at any point in the study. The recording tapes were destroyed immediately after the end of the research study to prevent any potential harm to the participants. The researcher maintained confidentiality throughout the study and only the supervisor had access to it.
Transparency regarding the aims and objectives of the research study was communicated in detail to the participants, they were made to understand that the study was carried out in partial fulfillment of the researchers Master's Degree. The aims and objectives of the study were explained to the participants as part of obtaining their informed consent.
Research Methodology Summary
53 or more experience also ensured that the participants were not new entry social workers who had not fully experienced the various pitfalls of the profession. The Black African Social Workers interviewed at this hospital recommended other Male Black African Social Workers from around Durban who met the inclusion criteria as the study needed three male social workers and it was a challenge to find . Data collection was carried out by conducting narrative interviews with the six Black African Social Workers using an interview schedule.
The interview schedule included open-ended questions that allowed the research participants to freely tell their stories. The study also used Mauthner and Doucet's (1998) voice-centered relational method of data analysis, which requires that the transcribed interviews be read four times.
CHAPTER FOUR: INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION
Introduction
Contextual Factors that Influence Career Narratives
Career guidance wasn't there so I didn't know what I was going to do or what I was interested in. all my sisters are nurses and i didn't want to go into nursing i didn't want to be a teacher. Those were basically our options as women back then, you're either a teacher, a nurse or social worker and I didn't want to teach and I didn't want to be a nurse. P1: "All my sisters are nurses and I didn't want to go to nursing, I didn't want to be a teacher.
After graduating, I didn't have a job for 4 months, but then I got a job at the medical school. 71 and science subjects, when the year was over and I was at home, I applied to study nursing, because there was no math to be done."
Narratives on the Contextual Challenges to Career Development
76 help because there's no place available where you can say okay, because you're in this situation, go live there until you find a job or something. It is not an easy profession to be a social worker. If there were resources we could do our work, but there aren't. So it turns out that the lack of resources to do our work is actually the biggest challenge.”
Although there is little research to support the claims that social workers in South Africa have limited opportunities for upward mobility, it was still important to capture them. And we need that, because every day you bring problems to people, and yet you have no one to seriously talk to, and there is no money in this profession.
Narratives on Contextual Factors that Propel Career Development
83 numerous challenges in the profession including low pay and limited resources (which will be presented in a later subsection) the Social workers in this study had an innate desire to help the community. To help someone and they get that help, you get that wonderful feeling yeah you get it...But you see when someone is really upset and you talk to them and you see they get that relief yeah some people you can help". P2: "As I said you help people to help themselves, if people can deal with their problems then the social problems we have can be minimized so your contribution to help people know even if a situation is worse there is a way ".
P3: “If you do something and it goes well, then it's nice if you can help someone.” Going through those things that I grew up in and I'll be able to help them better because of my own experiences with poverty, you see.
Narratives on the Meaning Attached to Career Development
Among the many meanings social workers attached to their careers, coping was a common theme emerging from their narratives. The desire to help their family was a common theme in this study, as all six social workers explained what their careers meant to their families. Belonging to a collectivist culture affects the career development of many South Africans. Having a career that was meaningful to their community and being of service to their community was common to all six social workers.
The above extracts of the meaning six social workers attributed to their careers illustrate the social embeddedness of their career narratives. The importance these social workers placed on their career was measured by how well it served their family and community.
Summary
90 questions as you know we have a water issue you see then I will come and we go to the right people to solve the community issue. P6: "Yes, I live with the community on this side, so when I visit, people come and ask me about what we should do in this and that situation." This has been supported by a wide range of literature that points to a collectivist culture playing a leading role in the career choices of black Africans (Frizelle, 2002; Mkhize & Frizelle, 2000; Watson &. Stead, 1998b; 1999a).
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Overview of the Study
- Conclusion about Research Findings
- Recommendations for Research and Practice
- Limitations
- Conclusion
These findings further support that career development is socially embedded in the South African context (Frizelle, 2002). In addition, the study aimed to explore the contextual challenges affecting the career development of black African social workers. What contextual factors (eg gender, culture and social policy) influence the career development of black African social workers in South Africa.
How do these contextual factors pose challenges in the career development of black African social workers? What role do interpersonal factors play in the career development of black African social workers?
