Social work research/intervention in an

integrative-multidisciplinary team – Case study Bekkersdal,

South AfricaElma Ryke

Outline of the presentation

• Ecohealth• The eco challenge: Bekkersdal Township• The Integrative Multidisciplinary (IMD)

research approach• The disciplinary phase: The Social Work

angle

Definition of environmental (eco) health

• “...those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, biological, social and psychosocial factors in the environment. It is also related to the theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling, and preventing those factors in the environment that can potentially affect the health of present and future generations” (South African Department of Health’s Environmental Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) Guideline of 2010).

BEKKERSDAL• 150 000 people• Informal settlement 70

000• Mines• Jobless• 40% lives below bread

line• Acid mine water

drainage• Radioactivity in the

sediment• Dolomite – sink holes• Bekkersdal Renewal

Project• “...residential complexes

are located on land that would be classified as contaminated sites in developed countries.”

Areas to research in the IMD Bekkersdal pilot study

Consti-

tutional rights

Service delivery & Local manage-ment

Political

Legacy

Historical

Legacy

RESEARCH

REGIONAL/LOCAL

AN INTEGRATIVE MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH (IMD) RESEARCH MODEL

IDPhase 2

Interdisciplinary

TDPhase 3

Transdisci-plinary

DPhase 1

Disciplinary research

DISCIPLINES REFLECT ON 4 THEMES

• Develop and revise 1-2 research objectives with the primary research question in mind.

• Indicate how the discipline would approach research in Bekkersdal, and indicate the methodology and specific research theory.

• Deliberate on the knowledge/research shortcomings in the discipline’s research focus.

• Explain the style of thought informing the discipline’s research.

SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1. To map the experiences and understanding of Bekkersdal households of their relationship to the non-human environment as situated within the wider social context

2. To generate sustainable ecohealth intervention alternatives for optimising their person-environment fit

SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH ANGLE

Research approach• A qualitative critical realism paradigm,

following a grounded theory methodologyKnowledge / research shortcomings• Borrowed knowledge base• Focus on social environmentStyle of thought informing the social work

research• Person-environment and enhancing human

well-being• Person-environment as conceptualised by

Zapf • Critical realism

CONCLUSION

• We hope through our involvement in the Bekkersdal project, we can pave the way for social work to play a more visible role in similar projects

Thank you