Journey towards independent living : a grounded theory investigation of leaving the care of Girls & Boys Town South Africa
- Van Breda, A.D., Van Breda, A. D
- Authors: Van Breda, A.D. , Van Breda, A. D
- Date: 2015-07-03
- Subjects: Care-leavers , Independent living , Young adults - Services for - South Africa , Social skills , Youth - Deinstitutionalization - South Africa
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5521 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13887
- Description: The journey out of care and towards independent living is a challenge for many care-leavers. There has been little research into the social processes involved in this care-leaving journey. This paper presents the results of a grounded theory investigation into the care-leaving journeys of nine young men who had, several years previously, been in the care of Girls and Boys Town in South Africa. Working from a resilience perspective, with an ecological emphasis, four central social processes emerged that together explain the care-leaving experiences of the participants. These processes are: striving for authentic belonging; networking people for goal attainment; contextualised esponsiveness; and building hopeful and tenacious self-confidence. These four processes are located within contextual boundaries and at the social environmental interface. The paper presents these processes in detail, drawing on selected narratives of the participants and integrated with additional theory. It is hoped that this paper may contribute to theory building concerning care-leaving processes and enhance youth care practices for youth in care and leaving care.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Van Breda, A.D. , Van Breda, A. D
- Date: 2015-07-03
- Subjects: Care-leavers , Independent living , Young adults - Services for - South Africa , Social skills , Youth - Deinstitutionalization - South Africa
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5521 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13887
- Description: The journey out of care and towards independent living is a challenge for many care-leavers. There has been little research into the social processes involved in this care-leaving journey. This paper presents the results of a grounded theory investigation into the care-leaving journeys of nine young men who had, several years previously, been in the care of Girls and Boys Town in South Africa. Working from a resilience perspective, with an ecological emphasis, four central social processes emerged that together explain the care-leaving experiences of the participants. These processes are: striving for authentic belonging; networking people for goal attainment; contextualised esponsiveness; and building hopeful and tenacious self-confidence. These four processes are located within contextual boundaries and at the social environmental interface. The paper presents these processes in detail, drawing on selected narratives of the participants and integrated with additional theory. It is hoped that this paper may contribute to theory building concerning care-leaving processes and enhance youth care practices for youth in care and leaving care.
- Full Text:
Students are humans too : psychosocial vulnerability of first-year students at the University of Johannesburg
- Authors: Van Breda, A.D.
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: University students , Adversity , Life challenges
- Language: English
- Type: Articles
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/366454 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/241921 , uj:24941 , Citation: Van Breda, A.D. 2017. Students are humans too : psychosocial vulnerability of first-year students at the University of Johannesburg. South African Journal of Higher Education, 31(5), 246-262.
- Description: Abstract: This paper aims to describe the life challenges university students experienced in their first year of study during the transition into academia, how these impacted on their studies at the time, and how these have impacted on their life satisfaction and academic progress over the next year or two. Data were collected using a quantitative survey instrument from 463 second and third year students at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Results showed that prevalent and severe life challenges during the first year of study were the death of loved ones and poverty. Most of the life challenges impacted negatively on academic progress and well-being a year or two later, and in combination the pileup of vulnerability in first year has a sustained negative impact on student’s academic progress year a year or two later. Universities need to engage with the whole student as human within their social environment, with both academic and personal development needs.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Van Breda, A.D.
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: University students , Adversity , Life challenges
- Language: English
- Type: Articles
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/366454 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/241921 , uj:24941 , Citation: Van Breda, A.D. 2017. Students are humans too : psychosocial vulnerability of first-year students at the University of Johannesburg. South African Journal of Higher Education, 31(5), 246-262.
- Description: Abstract: This paper aims to describe the life challenges university students experienced in their first year of study during the transition into academia, how these impacted on their studies at the time, and how these have impacted on their life satisfaction and academic progress over the next year or two. Data were collected using a quantitative survey instrument from 463 second and third year students at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Results showed that prevalent and severe life challenges during the first year of study were the death of loved ones and poverty. Most of the life challenges impacted negatively on academic progress and well-being a year or two later, and in combination the pileup of vulnerability in first year has a sustained negative impact on student’s academic progress year a year or two later. Universities need to engage with the whole student as human within their social environment, with both academic and personal development needs.
- Full Text:
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