Staff and honours students from the Sociology and Social Anthropology Department annually participate in a community survey in a designated area of the Western Cape in January/February. This is done in consultation with different stakeholders. The rationale for the survey is based on the need to provide honours students with an in-service learning opportunity that entails fieldwork in an environment where their research efforts could make a contribution to community development. There is thus a dual objective: firstly, in-service learning through applied research using different research methodologies, and secondly, the generation of new knowledge that could benefit the community initiatives of various stakeholders. There is an additional objective, namely to train community members in fieldwork skills in order for them to partake in similar studies.
This project is connected to the Masters Programme in Clinical Psychology and Community Counselling in the Psychology Department. Two Masters students are placed in this community for the duration of the academic year. After completing a needs assessment they design and implement an intervention programme suitable for the context. One full day of practical work per week is rendered in this community.
Contact person: Prof Tony Naidoo
A community development service-learning
module and research project focusing on the sociology of communities and community based research. The main service-learning activity involves conducting qualitative research in collaboration with the service-learning organisation where students are placed and presenting a final research report to the organisation and related community in the service-area of the service-learning partner organisations. Research questions are generated within the institutional and community setting. Six to eight reports are generated each year, depending on the amount of service-learning organisations participating.
Contact person: Mr Jacob du Plessis
This project is connected to the Masters Programme in Clinical Psychology and Community Counselling in the Psychology Department. Two Masters students are placed in this community for the duration of the academic year. After doing a needs assessment they design and implement an intervention programme suitable for the context. One full day of practical work per week is rendered in this community.
Contact person: Prof Tony Naidoo