STAGE 1: SELECTION OF AN APPROPRIATE TOPIC AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Figure 3.1: Carey’s (2012) qualitative social work research process

Each of these stages is now explored, beginning with the selection of an appropriate topic and development of a research problem as outlined in stage 1.

3.2 STAGE 1: SELECTION OF AN APPROPRIATE TOPIC AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

In this stage, the selection of the topic and the development of a research problem will be presented.

(Carey 2012:46). In selecting the research topic, the researcher was motivated by the following reasons: social work teaching and practice, previous encounters with the topic, social policy on divorce, the high rate of divorce, and policy and practice guidelines for social work services to divorced persons. These reasons are briefly explained below.

3.2.1.1 Social work teaching and practice

The researcher is a lecturer in the Department of Social Work at UNISA and he has a keen interest in research topics relating to family counselling, couple’s counselling, and divorce counselling. Apart from that, the researcher teaches the Case and Group Work practical work module at third year level and this module involves teaching students about the integration of different approaches, theories, and skills when counselling families, couples, and individuals. The module also requires an intensive literature study on challenges and/or social problems faced by people in their lives and about different intervention strategies used by social workers in addressing such challenges and social problems, including a literature study on relevant approaches, theories, and skills. The literature study is imperative for the lecturers, because it helps them in the process of developing study materials for students. And so, during the process of a literature study for the above-mentioned purpose, the researcher came across the topic of divorce and he developed an interest to investigate the topic further, more specifically regarding social work services to divorced persons given the adverse situation divorced persons encounter.

3.2.1.2 Previous encounters with the topic

The researcher worked as a generic social worker employed by the DSD in the Limpopo Province of South Africa for many years prior to joining UNISA. During the period of his employment, the researcher dealt with a number of cases reported to him involving divorced persons citing their inability to cope with the post-divorce challenges. The fact that divorced persons kept coming for social work services long after intervention by a social worker and the fact that there were no clear practice guidelines regarding social work services to divorced persons at that time influenced the researcher to pursue this research topic.

3.2.1.3 Social welfare policy on divorce

The DSD is the focal point of actions aimed at supporting family life and the strengthening of families in the country (South Africa), and one of its key responsibilities is to coordinate the activities that would contribute to the successful implementation of the White Paper on Families (South Africa 2013:46). As a policy document that guides the implementation of social work services to families, the researcher observed that the White Paper on Families (South Africa 2013:22-30) did not include divorce as one of the most important issues that affects families in South Africa, despite the impact it has on family relations and the divorced persons. This is in contrast with Abbassi and Nori’s (2015:21) assertion that divorce affects family relations in such a way that it becomes unbearable for both the divorced persons and the family members. Expanding on this, Ambrosino et al (2008:327) suggest that families undergo changes in composition as a result of divorce and those transitions become difficult for all family members, including the divorced persons. Therefore, the fact that divorce is not mentioned as one of the crucial issues that affects families in the policy documents motivated the researcher to explore further on the topic of divorce.

3.2.1.4 High rate of divorce

The researcher was also motivated to investigate the topic by the fact that the divorce rate remains high in South Africa (StatsSA 2015a:37) and across the globe (Wolfinger 2005:9). According to Simonic (2014:205-207) divorce brings adverse consequences to divorced persons. The fact that the statistics reflect a high divorce rate suggests that there is large number of people who are faced with the aftermath of divorce. Given the high rate of divorce in the country and worldwide, the researcher was keen to explore whether the nature of social work services to divorced persons addresses their needs, and hence he developed an interest in the topic.

3.2.1.5 Policy and practice guidelines for social work services to divorced persons

The researcher became interested in the topic, because he had a desire to develop practice guidelines that would inform social work services to divorced persons and policy guidelines that would assist the DSD in drafting social policies specifically on matters related to divorce. Apart from the development of the policy and practice

guidelines, the researcher’s interest in the topic was driven by his belief that divorced persons would benefit from the study, since the practice guidelines for social work services to divorced persons that are aligned to their needs will be developed.

The aforementioned reasons motivated the researcher to pursue the topic of this study and engendered commitment and enthusiasm. This resonates with Fawcett and Pocket’s (2015:8) assertion that coming up with a good topic initiates the research process and engenders commitment, enthusiasm, and determination. The authors further mention that a good idea may need considerable refinement to translate into a viable research question and that without a good idea, a research project will not get off the ground. In other words, a good research topic begins with a good idea about a particular research endeavour and there should be a considerable link between the topic and the research questions. Similarly, a research topic might be represented by a component of social work practice of particular interest, or a social problem or general issue, which may require further investigation (Carey 2012:18). This suggests that the selection of a research topic is motivated by a particular interest regarding social work practice, a social problem, or any social issue, which requires further investigation. Thus, researchers cannot take the process of topic selection lightly, because it requires thinking sensibly about the planned research and why that particular research endeavour is significant. Researchers need criteria to choose the best topics and the best model that provides the best topics (Nikolenko, Koltvoc &

Koltsova 2017:89). In so doing, researchers will be able to avert problems related to the selection of a suitable research topic.

3.2.2 Development of a Research Problem

The development of a research problem is expansively elaborated on in Chapter One, section 1.1.2 of this report. It is therefore worth noting that the development of a research problem was based on the knowledge gap about the nature of social work services to divorced persons, social welfare policies concerning divorced persons, and guidelines that inform social work practice and social welfare policies.

Although there is literature on general social work services to individuals, groups, families and communities, the researcher could not find literature on the nature of social work services to divorced persons. Conversely, research on divorce has

demonstrated that the dissolution of a marriage at any point in the life course of a person can have negative outcomes for both divorced men and women (Bowen &

Jensen 2017:1364). Divorced persons experience a higher prevalence of distress and lower levels of happiness and satisfaction with life in general, as compared to married persons (Symoens et al 2013:178).

Given the adverse situations faced by divorced persons, there is no doubt that appropriate social work services aimed at enhancing the well-being of divorced persons are necessary. At the present, social workers are trained to promote positive changes in working with individuals, groups, families, organisations, and the larger community (Zastrow 2014:68). This implies that social workers are not trained as specialists at the undergraduate level, but as generalists who provide services to individuals, groups, families, organisations, and the larger community, including divorced persons. Generalist social work practitioners utilise a variety of prevention and intervention methods in their practice with individuals, families, groups, organisations, and communities, to promote physical, emotional, and social well-being (Segal et al 2013:149).

Thus, social workers should be able to provide appropriate and needs-based social work services to divorced persons in order to promote positive changes in their lives.

Based on the fact that little is known about the nature of social work services to divorced persons, the researcher questioned whether there are appropriate social work services to divorced persons and if these services address the needs of divorced persons. Likewise, Mnyango (2015:192) recommends that a study be undertaken focusing on the experience-based perceptions of divorced men and women about the social workers’ involvement during the post-divorce stage. Moreover, there is nothing documented in terms of social welfare policy and social work practice guidelines.

The next presentation involves reviewing literature relating to the topic, as specified in stage 2 of Carey’s qualitative social work research process.