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HSRC Annual Report 2016/17
Children in South African Families: Lives and Times
The book project,
Children in South African families: Lives and Times
, was funded by the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in
Human Development and was published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
The book presents a comprehensive overview of African children’s lives in times of transition, transformation, and change,
some 22 years since political emancipation in South Africa. With diverse family formations, non-marital childbearing, and
diverse parenting situations, the book covers both the conceptual and theoretical questions that explain the context of
South African children’s experiences. The volume draws on a range of primary and secondary data sources to illustrate
these themes. While the volume affirms the complexities of explaining child adversity and/or privilege, stressing the
diversity of South African children’s experiences and the importance of adopting both children’s rights and Afro-centric
perspectives to account for the commonality and diversity of childhood and children’s empowerment in diverse family
systems. Written in accessible language devoid of disciplinary embellishment, the collection of chapters also provides
recommendations on how to respond and intervene in children’s issues, from both practical and policy levels, to ensure
that children are protected from harm, nurtured to succeed, and assisted during and after traumatic experiences. The
volume is a valuable resource for scholars and students in the fields of humanities, social science, development studies
and public health. Policymakers, child practitioners, and child advocates who teach and practice in the fields of family
studies, early childhood development, community development, population and development studies, psychology of
childhood, social work, and sociology will also benefit from the book.
Impact of research on South African citizens and the agenda to reduce poverty and inequality
Let’s Talk About it: Couples Counselling Builds Community
In rural areas there are very few services for couples, and little access to counselling in general. A study in KwaZulu-
Natal by the HSRC found that providing couples counselling is an effective way to get people to test together for HIV.
It also increases positive gender norms and reduces risky sexual behaviours. The Uthando Lwethu Study was the first
study to determine whether access to couples counselling services would increase the uptake of couples HIV testing
and counselling services. The counselling covered topics like alcohol abuse, family planning, intimate partner violence,
health issues, communication, and issues around HIV. Counselling was designed to help couples develop positive
communication skills and understanding. The counselling was provided by local lay counsellors which strengthens the
feasibility of translating the programme from research to practice in the community.
Over a thousand candidates were screened and 332 couples participated, many of whom had never tested for HIV,
demonstrating a real need for this programme in the community.The study showed that couples who accessed counselling
were given the tools to develop better communication skills. They tested for HIV earlier, and the majority of them stayed
in the programme for all of the counselling sessions. There was a high level of commitment to the counselling, with over
90% retention in the study over nine months. This success was achieved even though the couples were not“traditional
couples” in that most were not married nor even lived together. This programme could serve as a model for dealing
with other issues in the community, such as intimate partner violence and substance abuse. In a society where so many
suffer the burdens of poverty, HIV, and expectations from family, couples counselling provides a place where people can
learn skills and resolve difficulties in positive ways that is good for children, families and communities.
Social Restitution: Inviting more to Address Redress
Increasing protests, racism, inequality, poverty and political contention over the past few years has shown South Africans
that we are far from the rainbow nation we once envisaged. The HSD team embarked on a programme of work on social
restitution that invites civil society to participate alongside government to address redress and transformation and to
map out new possibilities for individual, community and civil society involvement.
The programme focused on three aspects:
•
Firstly, the launch of a book entitled
Another country: Everyday social restitution
, based on interviews with South
Africans from all walks of life. The book describes the actions and attitudes that can be undertaken to“make things
right”or“make good”. It offers four new ideas about restitution: (1) injustice damages all our humanity and continues
over time; (2) we need new language beyond the labels of victims and perpetrators to talk about our role in the
past, including beneficiary, ostrich and resister; (3) the aim of social restitution is to restore our humanity and
PART B: Performance Overview