Department of Social Work
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://197.255.125.131:4000/handle/123456789/4903
Browse
62 results
Search Results
Item Care leavers’ experiences of COVID-19 in Uganda and Ghana: Implications for their mental health and psychosocial wellbeing(Mental Health Effects of COVID-19, 2021) Bukuluki, P.; Frimpong-Manso, K.; Kato, F.In Ghana and Uganda, two low-income sub-Saharan African countries, an increasing number of young people leave residential care each year to begin life on their own in the wider society. The increase in young people making their transitions to adulthood from care contexts because, in both countries, many children live outside without parental care because of a complex and interrelated set of socioeconomic factors, consisting of poverty, orphanhood, abandonment, and detrimental cultural practices (Casey, 2011; Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, and UNICEF Uganda, 2015). In Ghana, children under 18 make up 45% of the population of 25,904,600. Despite economic growth and peaceful political environment, a third of the populace live below the poverty line and food insecurity, with Ghana, ranked 142/189 on the United Nations Human Development Index (Better Care Network & UNICEF, 2015).Item The Experiences of Students with Physical Disabilities in two Selected Universities in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2022) Berchie, A.Students with physical disabilities face a plethora of challenges in learning and participating in higher education in Ghanaian universities. Studies on students with physical disabilities have focused on challenges with built environments. However, students with physical disabilities could face barriers that are related to teaching and learning, bureaucratic issues, and attitudinal barriers in higher education. Hence, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of students with physical disabilities at the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology regarding the challenges they face and the factors that foster their academic learning and to ascertain their educational needs. A qualitative research design was employed for this study. Purposive sampling techniques were adopted to select 18 participants for the study. Purposive sampling helped the researcher recruit participants who possessed the characteristics as determined by the researcher. Data were collected through face to-face and phone interviews using a semi- structured interview guide in English. Data for this study were analysed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis developed by Smith and Osborn (2008). The results of the study showed that students with physical disabilities encounter barriers such as inaccessible school environments, inaccessible information, poor lighting systems and seating arrangements, and negative relational experiences with students without disabilities. The findings indicate that familial, personal, religious, and institutional factors led to the improvement in the academic learning of students with physical disabilities. Additionally, it was revealed in the study that students with physical disabilities needed fixing elevators and ramps in buildings and eBooks on library computers as measures to improve their learning in higher education. The study recommends that in the long run, university buildings in both universities should be renovated following provisions in the disability act of Ghana to enhance access to services by students with physical disabilities. However, in the short run, the study recommends that classes that have students with physical disabilities in both universities be held on the ground floor of buildings to enable easy access. Additionally, the study recommends that faculty members be trained in inclusive pedagogy to enhance their knowledge and skills in teaching students with disabilities.Item Raising Children In Urban Slums Of Ghana: Exploring The Experiences Of Young Mothers In Selected Slums Of Accra(University of Ghana, 2021-12) Brempong, P.N.A.Slums serve as home to a billion people, and this figure is expected to rise exponentially as most third-world countries continue to urbanise. In Ghana, about 4.8 million people live in slums and lack basic amenities. Given the unavailability of basic amenities in slum areas, raising children by young mothers in such environments becomes even more challenging as they are mostly considered not to have mastered that task of parenting. This study sought to: (a) explore the childcare practices of young mothers in raising their children in the slums of Ghana’s capital, Accra; (b) find out the challenges young mothers encounter in raising their children in the slums of Ghana’s capital, Accra; and (c) ascertain the coping mechanisms young mothers utilize in raising their children in the slums of Ghana’s capital, Accra. Using a sample size of twenty (20), the participants were purposively selected from two study sites: Old Fadama and African Eleven. A qualitative research design was used for this study, with in-depth interviews being the main data collection method. The data was categorised with the help of NVivo 12 Pro software, while Smith and Osborn’s Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed that most of the participants resort to the pharmacy rather than the hospital when their children fall ill because there are no clinics or hospitals within the slums. Furthermore, young mothers exercised control over their children through corporal punishments such as beatings, deprivation of privileges, and confining them indoors whenever they displayed unruly behaviour. Additionally, young mothers in their bid to raise their children encountered some feeding challenges due to financial constraints. Notwithstanding the challenges young mothers encountered, they were able to cope through the support of their peers, friends, and co-workers within the slum. Young mothers adopted some strategies such as endurance, tolerance and denial, savings and credit facilities, and group feeding strategies such as food rationing. With this, young mothers had to skip meals, fast, and reduce the quantity of food eaten in order to provide for their children. The study concludes that the lack of basic amenities within the two slums further worsens the plight of young mothers, as such, putting them in despair. To exploit or scale up the hope of young mothers in slums, the efforts of the government, stakeholders, and local and civil society groups (including community-based and faith-based organizations) should aim at improving the socio-economic conditions (especially education, health, and infrastructure) of both slums on a sustainable basis. In the long run, social workers should help link young mothers and families to resources, interventions, or organizations that could help them improve their well-being.Item Work-Life Balance Among Mothers In The Banking Sector In Accra(University Of Ghana, 2022-08) Birago, N.Mothers working in the corporate world tend to perform multiple roles because of work and family demands on their energy, time and resources. In Ghana, the banking sector is one of the sectors of the Ghanaian economy where the presence of women in terms of employment opportunities is visible. Many female employees start their career development as single ladies, become wives and subsequently mothers. However, little is documented about women's experiences straddling the path as mothers in banking, particularly in Accra, Ghana. This study, therefore, set out to explore the lived experiences of mothers in banking concerning the challenges they face balancing work and family roles, the strategies they adopt to cope and to document strategies and initiatives that exist in banks in support of mothers in banking in an attempt to straddle work and family roles. The study employed a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach as the means of enquiry. Data were collected from participants through in-depth interviews. The study found mothers in banking combining work and family roles extremely stressful, particularly leaving home very early in the morning, spending long hours at work and observing unpredicted late closing hours. In addition, the study found mothers in banking profusely expressing, having no quality time with their children and family. In addition, the unreliability of the social support system, particularly the house helps are mothers in banking worse nightmare. Mothers in banking adopt coping strategies, including utilising family members as a support system, developing a skill for planning their lives and work, self-encouragement and learning to concentrate on each role at a time. Hours break for nursing mothers is a common initiative adopted by banks in support of mothers in banking. The study recommends that government develops a policy on childcare at the workplace. The study further recommends that banks introduce crèches or day care centres to support working mothers in banking.Item Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: The Role Of Guidance And Counselling Program In Junior High Schools In The La Nkwantanang Madina Municipality(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Adzei, H.A.Over the years, the prevalence of child sexual abuse of students has been a concern to governments and stakeholders. A UNICEF (2020) report states that the prevalence rate of child sexual abuse of students around the world ranges between 15 to 25% for girls and 5 to 17% for boys. In recent years, there have been alarming concerns following an upsurge of reported cases of child sexual abuse of students within the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipality. This phenomenon has become an enormous problem for parents, teachers, and policymakers within the Municipality. Considering the above, this research explores the role of guidance and counselling in Junior High Schools established to prevent child sexual abuse in schools in the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipality. Following the ecological systems theory propounded by Urie Brofenbrenner (1979), this research explored child sexual abuse prevention based on the interconnectedness of human development and its environment. The study employed a phenomenological qualitative research design in exploring students' knowledge based on sexual abuse and guidance and counselling. In addition, the study investigated the support services available to the guidance and counselling unit, factors militating against the use of the guidance and counselling program in preventing child sexual abuse, and strategies that they adopt to prevent child sexual abuse particularly in schools. A sample size of 26 participants comprising 15 Junior High School students and 11 key informants were utilised for the study. An interview guide was designed for data collection. Using a thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke, the findings revealed that students' level of knowledge on child sexual abuse is limited to unconsented sexual activity by adults. Many of the students had little knowledge of guidance and counselling units in their various schools. The findings further revealed that the guidance and counselling program receives support from other stakeholders such as NGOs and Health Practitioners in the form of collaborations to organize sensitization programs on preventing child sexual abuse in schools. The study also identified lack of financial support, parental neglect, negative social media content on sexual and the non-allocation of guidance and counselling activities as a subject on the timetable of Junior High Schools in the La Nkwantanang Municipality as some of the factors militating against the use of guidance and counselling as a strategy of preventing child sexual abuse. The study, recommends that the Ghana Education Service directorate in the La Nkwantanang Municipality should direct schools to capture Guidance and Counselling on the timetable of schools, require in-school guidance and counselling facilitators to possess relevant professional qualifications, direct in-school guidance and counselling facilitators to have regular engagements with students, appoint school social workers to work in the guidance and counselling units of schools and overall provide the in school guidance and counselling facilitators with the financial resources and logistics to enable them provide students the requisite education in order to nib child sexual abuse in the bud among Junior High Schools in the La Nkwantanang Municipality.Item Exploring The Experiences Of Caregivers And Formal Foster Parents Caring For Orphans And Vulnerable Children In The Akuapim South District(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Allou, A.N.Globally, caring for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) is one of the vital elements of social work practice. However, the experiences of caregivers and formal foster parents of OVC is almost a missing component in the child welfare system and research in Ghana. This study sought to: (a) find out the motivations of caregivers and formal foster parents, (b) identify the challenges faced by caregivers and formal foster parents, (c) explore the coping strategies employed by caregivers and formal foster parents and (d) ascertain the support systems available to caregivers and formal foster parents in the Akuapim South District. Adopting a qualitative research design, purposive sampling was used to recruit 26 participants for the study. The sample consisted of 16 caregivers from two residential homes, six formal foster parents and four social welfare officials from the Akuapim South’s Department of Social Welfare. In-depth interviews were utilised to gather data for the study. Using a thematic approach in analysing the data, the findings from this study showed that participants were motivated to care for as a result of religious beliefs and a sense of fulfilling social responsibilities. Both caregivers and formal foster parents indicated that managing behavioural problems of OVC was a greater challenge to them of which they resorted to punishing and dialoguing with the children. The study revealed that formal foster parents received more support from family and friends which motivates their future decision to continue caring for OVC. However, due to high organisational workload and work-family challenges, caregivers feel demotivated to continue caring for OVC. This study therefore recommends that the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and social workers to provide support services and training to effectively ensure the proper wellbeing of caregivers and formal foster parents.Item The Role Of Self-Help Groups in the Recovery and Social Inclusion of Persons with Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Greater Accra, Ghana.(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Amponsah, A.The contemporary mental health practice emphasizes the community-based approach which emphasizes Informal services, such as those provided by self-help groups (SHGs). Despite the greater need and prospects of SHGs, the mental health system in Ghana least recognizes and support them to serve as a complement to professional services. Moreover, there are very few research on SHGs in Ghana. Guided by the empowerment theory, I conducted this study to examine the contributions and effectiveness of SHGs in facilitating recovery and social inclusion of persons with neuropsychiatric disorders in Greater Accra, Ghana. The concurrent-embedded mixed methods was used to guide this study. Specifically, the static-group comparison design was used for the quantitative study, and descriptive phenomenology was used for the qualitative study. A total of 162 persons participated in the quantitative study, comprising 77 SHG members and 85 non-SHG members. The qualitative participants were 13. It was found that SHGs facilitate the recovery and social inclusion of members through the provision of psychosocial support. This plays out in three pathways namely social support, promotes social integration, and promotes proper management of the disorder. SHG members recover better than non-SHG members [t(160) = 3.02, p <.005]. More so, SHG members are included in society better than non-SHG members [t(158) = 3.46, p <.001]. The magnitude of the differences in recovery and social inclusion for the two groups was moderate (d = .5). SHGs make moderate positive impact on the recovery and social inclusion of members with neuropsychiatric disorders. Stakeholders in mental health are encouraged to establish and support SHGs to promote recovery and social inclusion of persons with neuropsychiatric disorders in Ghana, especially in urban places.Item Strategies of extending Social Security Coverage to workers in the Informal Sector(University of Ghana, 2005-06) Ayisi, A.E.The research work was meant to find strategies of extending social security coverage to workers in the informal sector to enable them have protection against economic and social distress. The informal sector alone forms 80.6% of the total number of 9.039,318 economically active populations. Data used for the research work was from both primary and secondary sources. A vital tool that was wed in gathering information from the primary source was the questionnaire. In all, thirty questions were asked and grouped under the following headings. • General information on the respondent • Savings levels and preferences • Understanding of the SSNIT Pension Scheme The purposeive sampling procedures and structured questionnaires were used to collect data from a total of 156 respondents. The research revealed that workers in the informal sector do not join the scheme because of lack of knowledge. Most of the workers in the sector have failed to contribute due to unsustainable incomes. It was also revealed that benefits offered under the SSNIT Scheme were inadequate and did not meet workers expectations. Based on the findings, it is recommended that SSNIT enact a double -decker social insurance system that will provide for withdrawable contributions to help workers in this sector expand their business as their immediate need. As a result of the lack of knowledge, the media could also help to market the scheme. Benefits to contributors should be adjusted by SSNIT to bridge the gap between the high and low income earners.Item Youth Volunteerism in Accra: Motivations, Benefits, and Constraints(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Klu, E.Volunteerism has been touted globally as one of the tools for involving the youth in development processes especially in the wake of dwindling public expenditure on public services and public sector employment. Despite the global support and advocacy, volunteerism has received less attention among scholars and policymakers in Ghana. This study seeks to contribute in this regard by exploring; factors that motivate young people to volunteer, benefits they seek to derive volunteering as well as constraints that influence or prohibit participation in volunteer work. The study adopted a mixed-method approach using surveys and interviews. 351 young people were recruited constituting; 228 volunteers and 103 non-volunteers through surveys and 20 participants; 13 volunteers, 4 non-volunteers and 3 key informants. The findings show that young people saw volunteer work as an opportunity to ‘while away time’ while waiting for a permanent job. Other motivation factors included altruism, the desire to create change, contribution to development, acquisition of new skills, building career portfolios. For benefits, volunteers recounted factors such as personal development, social capital acquisition, and psychological gains including overcoming fear and low esteem as well as ease of boredom. Constraints are said to either inhibit volunteering or influence the volunteering experience and satisfaction. Three forms of constraints emerged from the study. These include Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Structural. Interpersonal and structural constraints were reported by both volunteers and non-volunteers while intrapersonal constraints were peculiar to only non-volunteers. It is concluded that young people in Ghana volunteer for a myriad of reasons tied to their interest and expectation. Volunteers attribute benefits to their volunteering endeavors when their expectations are met. The cost of volunteering and inadequate information on volunteer work are major constraints to be summonted in efforts to encourage volunteering culture in Ghana.Item The Usage and Management of Transboundary River Resources for Sustainable Livelihood in the Bawku Area(University of Ghana, 2009-02) Mohammed, A.S.Water is essential to almost all human activities including agriculture, domestic use and industry and among others. This study has therefore assessed the usage and management of the White Volta River in the Bawku area for livelihood. The study used cross-sectional data collected from households, river user groups, Government and Civil Society Organisations in three riparian communities of the White Volta in the Bawku area. The data was analyzed using statistical packages such as the SPSS and MINITAB. The results have been presented in tables to suit the objectives of the study. The study results show that riparian communities in the Bawku area mainly use the White Volta resources for several livelihood activities such as rainy season cropping, dry season gardening, livestock rearing, fishing and river transportation, and sand winning and bricks molding. High crop yield along the River was found to be associated with the River's resources which provides ideal condition for improved rainy season cropping and dry season gardening. Large scale production of livestock in the communities was found to be associated with river resources which provide abundant water and pasture for livestock rearing. The all-year round flowing of the River due largely to the construction of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso has not only improved dry season gardening and livestock rearing but has also made it possible for river transportation in some of the riparian communities. The construction of the Dam has however affected fishing which is traditionally undertaken in stable waters whenever the River dries up. Several factors such as flooding, destruction of farms by animals and drying up of some parts of the River are some challenges to effective utilisation of the River for livelihood in the riparian communities. Concerns have been raised that the nature of some of the livelihood activities such as cropping very close to the River and over grazing by animals lead to erosion and siltation which affect the flow of the River. For the management of the River, study has found that customary beliefs and practices are being used for preserving the River resources at the communities' level. It was however found that these customary practices are losing their usefulness due to modern religious beliefs and practices. Nevertheless, national and international organisation as well as civil society interest was found to be growing towards the management and preservation of the White Volta. The GLOWA Volta Project and the IUCN are working in collaboration with national institutions such as the WRC to implement Projects for improving water governance and preservmg the ecosystem of the Basin. The study concludes that the sustenance of the River is crucial for the development of the riparian communities. Integrated river resources planning and management with much participation of the local communities, Government and Civil Society Organisations is therefore recommended for efficient utilisation and management of the River resources in the riparian communities.