Practice education placements for undergraduate social work students in the corporate sector of the Western Cape metropole : an exploratory investigation

• Main Author: Brown, Iris Cathrine
• Other Authors: Green, S.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_ZA
• Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2012
• Subjects: Social service > South Africa > Cape Metropolitan Area > Field work > Case studies; Industrial welfare > South Africa > Cape Metropolitan Area > Field work > Case studies; College students > South Africa > Cape Metropolitan Area > Field work > Case studies; Dissertations > Social work; Theses > Social work
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53014

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Finding practice education placements for undergraduate social work students is becoming increasingly difficult in the Western Cape Metropolis, because many welfare agencies have either closed down or do not have the capacity to accommodate students for field placement. As a result of this situation, this research was undertaken with the aim to investigate the feasibility of the corporate sector as a field placement for undergraduate social work students. By using the corporate sector as a field placement an opportunity can be created whereby the university and the corporate sector could establish a workable partnership, with mutual benefits for each. The corporate sector can benefit by services offered by the students in the form of case-group and community work that can be rendered to the employees. The university will benefit because a new option for student placements will become available to them. The domain of social work in the corporate sector was explored by defining occupational social work; the nature of service rendering on micro, meso and macro levels and discussing occupational social work in the 21st century. Field placements of undergraduate students in the corporate sector were examined in order to establish what the theoretical background for field placements in a corporate setting ought to be. To this end, the nature and purpose; formats; settings and key role players in field placements were explored. Social work methods in social work per se and occupational social work in general were investigated. An investigation was also made into the management of the field placement programme for undergraduate social work students in the corporate sector. The following were facets were explored: the requirements of the department of social work at the University of the Western Cape for fourth year students as well as the requirements for field placements in the corporate sector, in order to establish the suitability of the corporate sector for field placements. Existing literature and empirical findings were used to collect data for this study. Exploratory and descriptive research designs were applied in this study. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews and conclusions and recommendations were based on the findings of the study. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit word al hoe moeiliker om praktykonderrigplasings vir voorgraadse maatskaplike werk studente in die Wes-Kaapse Metropool te vind, aangesien baie welsynsagentskappe of gesluit het of nie die vermoë het om studente in posisies vir praktykonderrigplasings te akkommodeer nie. As 'n gevolg van hierdie situasie is hierdie navorsing onderneem met die doel om vas te stel of menslike hulpbron personeel binne die korporatiewe sektor gewillig sal wees om voorgraadse studente vir praktykonderrig te akkommodeer. Deur die korporatiewe sektor vir praktykonderrigplasings te gebruik, kan 'n geleentheid geskep word waardeur die universiteit en die korporatiewe sektor 'n uitvoerbare vennootskap, met wedersydse voordele vir albei, tot stand kan bring. Die korporatiewe sektor kan voordeel trek uit die dienste wat deur die studente aangebied word, soos gevalle-, groep- en gemeenskapswerk wat aan die werknemers gebied kan word. Die universiteit se voordeel sal daarin lê dat nuwe opsies vir praktykonderrigplasings vir die studente beskikbaar word. Die sfeer van maatskaplike werk in die korporatiewe sektor is ondersoek deur beroepsmaatskaplike werk en die aard van dienslewering op mikro-, meso- en makrovlakke te definieer, en deur die aard van beroepsmaatskaplike werk in die 21ste eeu te bespreek. Praktykonderrigplasings van voorgraadse studente in die korporatiewe sektor is ondersoek om te bepaal wat die teoretiese agtergrond vir praktykonderrigplasings in die korporatiewe omgewing behoort te wees. Vir hierdie doel is die aard en doel, formate, omgewings en sleutel rolspelers in praktykonderrigplasings verken. Maatskaplike werkmetodes in maatskaplike werk per se en beroepsmaatskaplike werk in die algemeen is ondersoek. 'n Ondersoek is ook gedoen na die bestuur van die praktykonderrigplasingsprogram vir voorgraadse maatskaplike werkstudente in die korporatiewe sektor. Die volgende fasette is verken: die vereistes wat die Departement Maatskaplike Werk van die Universiteit van Wes- Kaapland aan vierdejaarstudente stel, sowel as die vereistes vir praktykonderrigplasings in die korporatiewe sektor, met die doel om die gewilligheid van die korporatiewe sektor vir praktykonderrigplasings te bepaal. Bestaande literatuur en empiriese bevindings is gebruik om data vir hierdie studie te versamel. Verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerpe is in hierdie studie benut. Deur middel van vraelyste en onderhoude is data versamel en afleidings en aanbevelings op grond van die bevindinge van die ondersoek is gemaak.