The perceptions and experience of male farm workers of the effects of a transpersonal social work intervention in addressing domestic violence

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:This study is an attempt to gain a deeper understanding, from the perspectiveand experience of male farm workers, of the effects of a transpersonal socialwork counselling intervention, on a wine farm in the Western Cape, inpromoting more socially functional behaviour and reducing violent behaviour,particularly towards their intimate partners.Domestic violence was found by Parenzee and Smythe (2003:47) of theInstitute of Criminality to be 'pervasive within farming communities and thatresponses are less than adequate, no preventative services were beingoffered and the only structured interventions that were in place, were aimed atimproving the livelihoods of women. There is a growing awareness thataddressing the high and increasing levels of violence against women in SouthAfrica needs to incorporate working directly with men as recommended, afterlocal studies, by Sonke Gender Justice Network (2009), Boonzaier (2005),Londt (2004) and Abrahams, Jewkes and Laubsher (1999). A recent study concerning the legacy of dependency and powerlessnessexperienced by farm workers on wine farms in the Western Cape by Falletisch(2008:v) found there to be a need for 'further research into accessible,appropriate and sustainable intervention strategies on farms that empowerlabourers and break the cycles of habitual excessive drinking, social violenceand hopelessness on farms.Transpersonal intervention enables human beings to attain a sense of Self andthe consequent accessing of their own inner power, and with that thedissipation of the compulsion to hurt, control or abuse others and themselvessays Hollis (1994) and France (2008).Circumstances that are oppressive, disempowering and poverty inducing, asexperienced by a large majority of farm labour in South Africa, may beinhibiting to, but should not preclude, self realisation. The researcher, a social work practitioner in private practice on a wine farm inthe Western Cape, applied this approach in a counselling intervention withmale farm workers, to enable them to, not only reach their own self-definedgoals, but also to reduce abusive behaviour such as alcohol abuse anddomestic violence.The effects of the intervention from the perspectives of the men as well as theirfemale partners, was explored in order to determine the effectiveness of theintervention, particularly, in reducing intimate partner violence. The goal of thestudy was thus to gain a deeper understanding, from the perspective andexperience of male farm workers, of the effects of a transpersonal social workintervention in promoting more socially functional behaviour and reducingviolent behaviour, particularly towards their intimate partners.There is a dearth of services, particularly addressing male workers on farmssays Shabodien (2005) and it is hoped that this study may evaluate theeffectiveness and potential for further application in practice amongst farmworker communities in South Africa.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University