Resiliency amongst rural social workers in managing their experiences of work-related challenges

Abstract

Background of the study - The notion of resilience was first recognised in the field of psychopathology in the 1970s. The concept can be used to explain the individual responses to challenges and traumatic events which led many researchers to develop an interest in researching resiliency in different fields including social work. This interest was highlighted in the 90s when more social work researchers researched child protection social workers, this was because it was discovered that many social workers experienced high levels of stress due to trauma that is work-related. However, researchers focused more on urban areas and there has been a gap in literature on the resiliency of rural social workers because social work was noted to be a creation of the city as it started and developed its connection to urban matters hence it took many years before it turned to the needs of people living in rural areas, including those of social workers. Goal - The goal of this research study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the resilience amongst rural social workers in managing their experiences of work-related challenges. Methods - A qualitative research approach was employed to explore, describe, and contextualise the resiliency amongst rural social workers in managing their experiences of work-related challenges. Phenomenology was employed which focuses on the person’s experiences, perceptions, and feelings. Piloting the data collection instrument and testing the researcher’s interview skills was concluded prior to commencing with the actual data collection phase. Rural social workers meeting the criteria of inclusion were purposively sampled and semi-structured interviews, based on questions reflected in an interview guide, were conducted as the data collection method. The eight steps suggested by Creswell (2014:197) were applied for data analysis, and data verification was based on the model proposed by Lincoln and Guba (1985). Ethical considerations observed in the study are informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, beneficence, management of information and debriefing of participants should the need arise. Results - Regardless of the challenges, trauma and hardship experienced by rural social workers, their experience in performing their daily duties showed resilience, as they tended to have the ability to look past their challenges to find solutions and possibilities in providing services to their clients and taking care of themselves. Contribution - This study contributed to the scientific body of knowledge that provides how rural social worker manage their work-related challenges.

Umlando werhubhululo – Umbono omalungana nokubekezela wahlonitjhwa kokuthoma emkhakheni weze-psychopathology eminyakeni yabo-1970s. Ngokulemuka ukobana leligama lingasetjenziswa ukuhlathulula iimpendulo zabantu ngamunye eentjhijilweni kanye nezehlakalweni ezitsirimezako, kurholela ekubeni abarhubhululi abanengi bona babe nekareko ekurhubhululeni ubudisi bokubekezela emikhakheni eyahlukahlukeneko, kufaka phakathi imikhakha enjengezehlalakuhle. Leli kareko lavezwa eminyakeni yabo-90, lokha irhubhululo elimalungana nabasebenzi bezehlalakuhle ephikweni lezokuvikelwa kwabantwana nabahlangabezana namazinga aphezulu wegandeleleko, ngenca yevalo lemsebenzini. Nanyana-kunjalo, abarhubhululi bebaqale khulu eendaweni zemadorobheni kanti kade kunesikhala emtlolweni wezobukghwari malungana nobudisi bokubekezela kwabasebenzi bezehlalakuhle beendaweni zemakhaya. Ibizelo lezehlalakuhle lathoma belakhulisa ithungelelwano lalo kokuthoma eendabeni zemadorobheni kanti lokho kuthethe iminyaka eminengi ngaphambi kobana liqale iindingo zabantu abahlala eendaweni zemakhaya, kufakwa Phakathi abosohlalakuhle abasebenza eendaweni lezi zemakhaya. Irhuluphelo – Irhuluphelo lesiifundo serhubhululo kukuzuza ilwazi elingeneleleko elimalungana nokubekezela kwabasebenzi beendaweni zemakhaya ekulawuleni iintjhijilo zabo zemsebenzini. Iindlela zokwenza (Methods) – Indlela yokurhubhulula edzimelele kukhwalithi (qualitative research) isetjenzisiwe ukuhlola, ukuhlathulula kanye nokuveza ubujamo obuphathekako bezinga lokubekezela kwabasebenzi bezehlalakuhle beendaweni zemakhaya, malungana nokuphatha iintjhijilo abahlangabezana nazo emsebenzini. Ifenomenoloji esetjenzisiweko ngileyo eqale ilwazi lomuntu laqobe lilanga, imiqondo kanye namazizo womuntu. Ihlelomlingo (pilot) lokubuthelela idatha kanye nokuhlola amakghonofundwa wehlolombono lomrhubhululi, kuphethwe ngaphambi kokuthoma isigaba samambala sokubuthelelwa kwedatha. Abasebenzi bezehlalakuhle bemakhaya abakhambisana nehlelo elifaka okuhlukahlukileko, isampula yehloso, kanti amahlolombono ahlelwe ngokwesiquntu, asuselwa phezu kwemibuzo evele kumhlahlandlela wehlolombono, athethwe njengendlela yokubuthelelwa kwedatha. Amagadango alithoba aphakanyiswe ngu-Creswell (2014:197) asetjenziselwe ukutsenga idatha, kanye nokuqinisekisa idatha kususelwe phezu kwemodeli ephakanyiswe ngu-Lincoln bano-Guba model (1985). Imibandela yokuziphatha elandelweko kurhubhululo kusivumelwano esizwakalako, ifihlo, ukungazivezi igama, i-beneficence, ukuphathwa kwelwazi kanye nokucoca kwabadlalindima , lokha nakunesidingo. Imiphumela – Kungaqalwa iintjhijilo, ivalo/ukuthukwa kanye nobudisi obuhlangabezana nabasebenzi bezehlalakuhle bemakhaya, lokha nabenza imisebenzi yabo yaqobe lilanga, bakhombise ukubekezela lokha nabanande bakhombisa ikghono lokuqalana neentjhijilo zesikhathi esidlulileko, ngehloso yokuthola iinsombululo kanye nalokho okungenzeka lokha amakhasitamu nakenzelwa izenzelwa kanye nokuzitjheja kwabasebenzi ngokwabo. Igalelo – Leli rhubhululo lifake igalelo ezikweni lezesayensi, okuliziko elitjhoko bona abasebenzi bezehlalakuhle bemakhaya baqalana bunjani neentjhijilo zomsebenzi ngendlela yokubekezelela ubudisi.