The Department has six research focus areas:
- Social development
- Child and family welfare
- Mental health and substance misuse
- Management, supervision and leadership
- Teaching and learning
- Cultural practices
These research focus areas are underpinned by various context-related, cross-field research areas.
Each permanent staff member of the Department specialises in one or more of the Department's research focus areas.
RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS
| 1 Social development | 2 Child and family welfare | 3 Mental health and substance misuse | 4 Management, supervision and leadership | 5 Teaching and learning | 6 Cultural practices |
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Cross-field research areas
| Contexts: global; continental; local; urban; rural |
Service providers: national government; provincial government; local government; NGOs; CBOs; FBOs; private entities
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Service users: governments; organisations; institutions; managers; supervisors; supervisees; educators; learners; communities; families; groups; individuals – children, youth, women/men, older persons, disabled people, mentally and physically ill, HIV & AIDS effected and affected. |
Legislation: laws; statutory documents; treaties; policies applicable to social work |
Theories, models and perspectives: applicable to social work |
Core values and principles: applicable to social work |
Methods: individual; group; community; policy level; applicable to teaching and learning |
Processes: applicable to social work intervention; management; supervision; policy formation; teaching and learning |
Intervention: promotion; protection; probation; rehabilitation; continuing care |
Levels: prevention; early intervention; statutory; residential; reconstruction, after care; alternative care; mandatory; voluntary |
Social problems/issues and challenges: engagement with people; structures; recourses and organisations to address life challenges and to enhance wellbeing and optimal functioning
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