andreas baron august 2013

154 Pages·2014·8.99 MB·English

PERCEPTIONS OF RESILIENCE BY CAREGIVERS
OF CHILDREN IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY

ANDREAS BARON

AUGUST 2013
PERCEPTIONS OF RESILIENCE BY CAREGIVERS OF

CHILDREN IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY

by

ANDREAS BARON

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree

MAGISTER EDUCATIONIS
(Educational Psychology)

Department of Educational Psychology
Faculty of Education
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

SUPERVISOR:
Dr Motlalepule Ruth Mampane

CO-SUPERVISOR:
Prof Kesh Mohangi

PRETORIA
2013

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In the end, this was an easy choice:
This dissertation is dedicated to my wife
who has stood by my side year after year.
She was there when the ideas flowed,
and she was there when they stopped again.
Always inspiring and motivating me,
René, this goes out to you.
You are my mountain,
you are my sea.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my sincere thanks and respect to the following persons who helped
make this study a reality over the last four years:

• My supervisor, Dr Ruth Mampane, and my co-supervisor, Prof Kesh Mohangi, for
their endless encouragement, patience, and guidance.
• My fellow research assistants: Ms Chereen Pretorius for all her support and
unselfish efforts in helping with the transcriptions and so much else, and Mrs Lolo
Mosia for assisting with the translations.
• The community-based care facility and its staff for opening their doors to me and
allowing me a brief glimpse into their world.
• To all fellow classmates and friends whose homes I invaded during the writing
process; thank you for the caffeine-fuelled late-night writing sessions.
• To friends and family who understood the lengthy nature of this project, and for
always supporting me.
• And last, but certainly not least, to my wonderful wife who stood by my side,
offering her encouragement and support at every step of the way, especially during
the dark hours when the end of this study felt so remote and unreachable, and for
always inspiring me to grow in the process.

---oOo---

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ABSTRACT

Perceptions of resilience by caregivers of children in a residential care facility

This study, aimed at analysing the methods used by caregivers to construct their own
resilience at a residential care facility for orphaned and vulnerable children, forms part of a
larger study investigating the role of emotional awareness in caregivers. Convenience
selection was used for the research site on account of accessibility, and purposive selection for
the participants owing to their role as caregivers at the care facility. The qualitative case study
method facilitated contextual investigation of the matter at hand. Data were collected by
means of a focus group discussion with seven participants, individual interviews with four
participants, and the researcher’s informal observations in order to elucidate the main research
question: How do formal caregivers of orphaned and vulnerable children construct their own
resilience? Kumpfer’s Resilience Framework served as the theoretical foundation for the
study. Thematic analysis of the data yielded the following themes: demonstrating resilience
when functioning within an unsupportive environment; demonstrating resilience when
establishing a sense of control; demonstrating resilience through belief; and resilience born
out of identity as a caregiver. Results were related to existing literature and the theoretical
framework. Furthermore, a conceptual framework for the South African context is suggested.

KEYWORDS:
Resilience, resiliency, caregivers, orphaned and vulnerable children, stress, control,
belief, coping, identity, conceptual framework

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY .......................................................... 1
1.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ........................................................................... 1
1.2 RATIONALE ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.3 PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY ................................................................................................ 5
1.4 WORKING ASSUMPTIONS ................................................................................................ 5
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION ...................................................................................................... 6
1.5.1 PRIMARY RESEARCH QUESTION ......................................................................................... 7
1.5.2 SUBQUESTIONS ................................................................................................................... 7
1.6 CONCEPT CLARIFICATION .............................................................................................. 7
1.6.1 CAREGIVERS ....................................................................................................................... 7
1.6.2 RESILIENCE......................................................................................................................... 7
1.6.3 ORPHANED AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN .......................................................................... 8
1.7 INITIAL LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................... 8
1.8 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ......................................................................................... 9
1.9 RESEARCH PARADIGM: CONSTRUCTIVISM .............................................................. 10
1.10 RESEARCH DESIGN: CASE STUDY ............................................................................... 10
1.11 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: QUALITATIVE APPROACH ...................................... 11
1.11.1 SAMPLING STRATEGY ....................................................................................................... 11
1.11.2 DATA COLLECTION AND DOCUMENTATION ..................................................................... 11
1.11.3 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ........................................................................... 13
1.12 QUALITY ASSURANCE CRITERIA OF THE STUDY .................................................... 13
1.13 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................................... 13
1.14 CHAPTER OUTLINE ......................................................................................................... 13
1.14.1 CHAPTER 2........................................................................................................................ 13
1.14.2 CHAPTER 3........................................................................................................................ 14
1.14.3 CHAPTER 4........................................................................................................................ 14
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1.14.4 CHAPTER 5........................................................................................................................ 14
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ..... 15
2.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 15
2.2 RESILIENCE: TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCEPT ...................... 15
2.3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................... 19
2.3.1 THE RESILIENCE DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS ................................................................... 19
2.3.2 KUMPFER’S RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK ............................................................................ 19
2.4 THE SOUTH AFRICAN CAREGIVING CONTEXT ........................................................ 26
2.4.1 STRESS EXPERIENCES OF CAREGIVERS ............................................................................. 26
2.4.2 CAREGIVER RESILIENCE ................................................................................................... 27
2.5 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 31
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .................................... 33
3.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 33
3.2 RESEARCH PURPOSE....................................................................................................... 33
3.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .................................................................................................. 33
3.4 RESEARCH PARADIGM: CONSTRUCTIVISM .............................................................. 33
3.5 RESEARCH DESIGN ......................................................................................................... 35
3.5.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 35
3.5.2 CASE STUDY DESIGN ........................................................................................................ 36
3.5.3 RESEARCH SAMPLE .......................................................................................................... 37
3.6 DATA COLLECTION STRATEGIES ................................................................................ 41
3.6.1 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION ............................................................................................... 42
3.6.2 SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS ...................................................................................... 43
3.6.3 INFORMAL OBSERVATIONS ............................................................................................... 44
3.7 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION .................................................................. 45
3.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................... 46
3.9 ENHANCING TRUSTWORTHINESS ............................................................................... 47
3.10 RESEARCH ETHICS .......................................................................................................... 47
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3.11 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 48
CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS ............... 49
4.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 49
4.2 RESULTS OF THE THEMATIC ANALYSIS .................................................................... 49
4.2.1 THEME 1: RESILIENCE WITHIN AN UNSUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT .................................. 50
4.2.2 THEME 2: DEMONSTRATING RESILIENCE WHEN ESTABLISHING A SENSE OF CONTROL ... 56
4.2.3 THEME 3: DEMONSTRATING RESILIENCE THROUGH BELIEF ............................................. 61
4.2.4 THEME 4: RESILIENCE BORN OUT OF THE IDENTITY OF CAREGIVER ................................ 64
4.3 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 67
CHAPTER 5 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION ...................................... 68
5.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 68
5.2 SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS 1 TO 4 .................................................................................. 68
5.3 ADDRESSING THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................... 69
5.3.1 ADDRESSING THE MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION ................................................................. 69
5.3.2 ADDRESSING SUBQUESTION 1 .......................................................................................... 77
5.3.3 ADDRESSING SUBQUESTION 2 .......................................................................................... 78
5.4 SILENCES AND CONTRADICTIONS IN THE STUDY .................................................. 79
5.5 ADDRESSING THE WORKING ASSUMPTIONS ........................................................... 80
5.6 POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS .......................................................................................... 80
5.7 THE RESEARCHER’S REFLECTIONS ............................................................................ 81
5.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................... 82
5.9 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................... 83
5.9.1 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRAINING ................................................................................ 83
5.9.2 RECOMMENDATION FOR PRACTICE .................................................................................. 83
5.9.3 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ................................................................. 83
5.10 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 84
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 85
APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................... 91
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APPENDIX A: ETHICAL CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE ........................................................................... 92
APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT LETTERS OF INFORMED CONSENT ........................................................ 94
APPENDIX C: SAMPLE OF FOCUS GROUP TRANSCRIPTION ............................................................. 100
APPENDIX D: SAMPLE OF INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS ....................................................................... 111
APPENDIX E: EXTRACTS FROM RESEARCH DIARY.......................................................................... 134
APPENDIX F: THEMATIC ANALYSIS: GROUPING THEMES ............................................................... 140
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1.1: ORPHAN TYPE BY CENSUS ................................................................................................. 3
FIGURE 1.2: PERCENTAGE OF ORPHANED CHILDREN BY PROVINCE ..................................................... 4
FIGURE 2.1: RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................. 20
FIGURE 2.2: THE CAREGIVING RESILIENCE MODEL ............................................................................. 30
FIGURE 2.3: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FRAMEWORKS ........................................................................... 31
FIGURE 3.1: MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY .................................................... 38
FIGURE 3.2: MAIN PLAY AREA OF THE RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY ................................................... 39
FIGURE 3.3: THE SAMPLING PROCESS .................................................................................................... 40
FIGURE 5.1: CAREGIVING RESILIENCE MODEL ADAPTED FOR SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT.................. 71
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 2.1: CHANGES LEADING TO THE WEAKENING OF KINSHIP SYSTEMS IN RECENT YEARS ............... 4
TABLE 2.2: STRESSORS OF CAREGIVERS IN KENYA ............................................................................... 27
TABLE 3.1: PARTICIPANT DETAILS ......................................................................................................... 41
TABLE 4.1: ABBREVIATION KEY............................................................................................................. 50
TABLE 4.2: THEMES AND SUBTHEMES ................................................................................................... 51
TABLE 4.3: INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR THEME 1 .......................................................... 52
TABLE 4.4: INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR THEME 2 .......................................................... 58
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