Abstract
Children’s vulnerability is largely highlighted and acknowledged in housing literature and past research on children living in informal settlements. The study investigated housing experiences of children living in informal settlements, using a sample from Mooiplaas informal settlement, Centurion, Gauteng province South Africa. Six children were sampled, aged 12 to 18 who lived in an informal settlement long enough to share housing experiences using purposeful sampling. The housing conditions and experiences of children in Mooiplaas is marked by poor housing conditions, absence or limited resources, basic services and infrastructure. This thesis provides qualitative research findings. Thematic analysis was employed as a method for data analysis to gain an understanding into how children construct the meaning of housing and children’s housing experiences in informal settlements using the social development theoretical framework. The thesis used various categories and themes to present findings. The main finding is that a house is much more than just a physical structure, citing adequate housing as key in the meaning children attached to housing. The results also showed that children in Mooiplaas informal settlements have positive and negative housing experiences which impact on their social development outcomes. This research placed emphasis on how adequate housing or lack of it, can impact on the social development of children. The study contributes to literature on housing and housing experiences of children in informal settlements. The findings can inform housing policy and social work practice, especially that of children living in informal settlements, which had very little attention from social workers, given their role in advocating for children’s rights. It can also inspire future research to expand the body of knowledge relating to children’s housing experiences in informal settlements.
M.A. (Community Development)