Redefining Food Security in a Community Context: An Exploration of Community Food Security Indicators and Social Worker Roles in Community Food Strategies

Large numbers of households experiencing the effects of food insecurity threaten a community’s viability. Although hunger has been viewed as a social problem, research focused on household-level food security tends to primarily focus on the household economics. This thematic overview of academic and grey literature (a) describes community food security (CFS) research and indicators related to accessibility, affordability, community self-reliance, social justice, and sustainability; (b) provides examples of how community social workers can participate, lead or evaluate CFS strategies that can create sustainable food secure communities; and (c) invites social work researchers to develop holistic measures of CFS.     

Local economic development and urban poverty alleviation: the experience of post-apartheid South Africa

Urban poverty is a policy issue of growing significance in post-apartheid South Africa. In terms of the new Constitution the developmental role of local governments is given considerable attention. Against a background analysis of the best practice of local anti-poverty strategies in the developing world, this paper reviews the experience of eight case studies of local economic development (LED) initiatives. The case studies review a cluster of research findings from South African metropolitan areas (Midrand, Port Elizabeth, inner-city Durban, Khayelitsha and Winterveld) followed by issues from secondary cities (Nelspruit, Harrismith) and small towns (Stutterheim). A key conclusion from the experience of post-apartheid South Africa is that LED practitioners are currently struggling to find means to integrate their LED initiatives with the task of poverty alleviation.     

Climate and food inequality: the South African Food Sovereignty Campaign response

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on climate and food inequalities while highlighting food sovereignty responses. It provides an analysis of climate inequalities ramifying through the world today. At the same time, food inequality is conceptually clarified as a counter approach to food security. It is argued that food inequality is consistent with the case for food sovereignty. Moreover, the combination of climate and food inequalities also highlight the complexity of climate crises and the challenges they pose for food regimes. The article further highlights the emergence of the food sovereignty response and systemic alternative. Taking this further is a case study of the transformative politics of the South African Food Sovereignty Campaign and its constitutive approach to various forms of power from below.     

Review and Analysis of the Benefits,Purposes, and Motivations Associated with Community Gardening in the United States

Community gardens have been a part of modern American culture since the late 19th century. Participation in community gardening has ebbed and flowed in response to changing socioeconomic conditions, and thus the current economic recession has reheightened public interest. In a review of the scholarly literature from 1999 to 2010, rigorous quantitative research studies on the effects of community gardens are found to be sparse; however, a larger body of qualitative data is available. Eleven themes related to the purposes, benefits of, and motivations for participating in community gardens are identified. Community gardens can serve as an effective tool for community-based practitioners in carrying out their roles within the arenas of organizing, development, and change.     

Cultural Perspectives from Aotearoa/New Zealand

Abstract

Intergenerational programmes recognise the relationships between the young and old as mutually important to both age groups and to society in general. While intergenerational programmes are a fairly new venture in New Zealand, the early childhood curricu-lum-Te Whariki, the woven mat, is a document which is based on the relationships between people and their environment. It is an ecological model where the context of a child's life is a critical factor in determining well-being, a sense of belonging, communication, a desire to explore, and contribution to society. These are the living strands of Te Whariki which are woven together to provide a sense of place from which children can grow strong and confident. These strands also apply to older people as they move through life's changes. This paper will explore the ways in which Te Whariki is an intergenerational curriculum that can be applied to any context and any age.     

Developing a Multicomponent Model of Nutritious Food Access and Related Implications for Community and Policy Practice

Access to nutritious foods is limited in disenfranchised communities in the United States. Policies are beginning to focus on improving nutritious food access in these contexts; yet, few theories are available to guide this work. We developed a conceptual model of nutritious food access based on the qualitative responses of food consumers in 2 different regions of the American South. Five domains (economic, service delivery, spatial–temporal, social, and personal) and related dimensions of nutritious food access were identified. The conceptual model provides practical guidance to researchers, policy makers, and practitioners working to improve nutritious food access in communities.     

Food Sovereignty in Everyday Life: Toward a People-centered Approach to Food Systems

Abstract

This paper proposes a theoretical approach that de-centers ‘food’ in food-related research, placing social life as the point of departure for a critical analysis of food systems and the search for alternatives. Using a relational conception of food as a nexus of multiple, intersecting social-historical processes, a ‘people-centered’ approach illuminates the social elements that can inform resonant and locally inflected strategies for food sovereignty, particularly for urban communities in the USA. Building on theoretical concepts of primitive accumulation, articulation, and everyday life, as well as empirical work with the Chicago-based Healthy Food Hub, this paper explores the relationship between everyday food practices and historical processes of proletarianization as they are produced, reproduced, and contested at multiple conjunctures. In these spaces of contestation, the capacity for diverse communities to re-articulate social relations through everyday food practices could provide a potentially powerful pathway not just to food sovereignty, but an alternative to life under capitalism.     

The Challenge of Partnerships Between the State,Capital, and Civil Society: The Case of the Media Development and Diversity Agency in South Africa

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Inspired by “extra-market” initiatives to ensure media diversity in social-demo- cratic Northern Europe, the...     

Sexual Attitudes and Behavior of University Students at a Rural South African University: Results of a Pilot Survey

A cross sectional qualitative and quantitative pilot survey, using self-administered questionnaire and focus group discussions, was conducted to assess the feasibility of a health promotion programme implemented at the university. About 73 students participated in the survey and the discussion. We examined gender and cultural differences on sexual attitude and behaviour. There was a strong belief that unprotected sex can lead to pregnancy and STIs. Overall participants were not sure if condom use had any negative effects, although female respondents felt that condoms affect the pleasure of sexual intercourse.

The results suggest that there is a need for health promotion programmes aimed at young adults, who attend university. The programme should improve general health knowledge, targeting health promotion and sexual risk behaviour among university students. Such a programme would have to consider gender, socio-economic circumstances as well as national and cultural background of the target population.     

New dawn or end of labour?: from South Africa’s East Rand to Ekurhuleni

ABSTRACT

The question raised in this article is whether the key role played under apartheid by labour in the transition to democracy can be revived in the struggle against the persistent and deepening inequality of the post-apartheid period. We argue that the transition to a neoliberal state in the post-apartheid period has fragmented workers and weakened their capacity to build sustainable workplace organization. However, in spite of this, we identify the emergence of collective action and organization amongst these precarious workers. We show how in response to the degeneration of their traditional organizations, these workers are rebuilding worker organization still very much inscribed in the organizational traditions built on the East Rand over 40 years ago. We challenge the pessimistic ‘end of labour’ thesis that suggests that the informalization of employment has made collective organization impossible.     

Learning to live together: an exploration and analysis of managing cultural diversity in centre-based early childhood development programmes

This paper explores how early childhood development practitioners running centre-based programmes with children aged 3–6 years address the needs of an increasing number of children from diverse cultural backgrounds in their care. This is important as early childhood is a critical moment in which to create a positive awareness about diversity. A qualitative and interactive research design was employed to identify what values, attitudes, knowledge and strategies practitioners and families believe are important to promote the social integration of children from diverse backgrounds. In-depth interviews and participant observation were used to collect data from 10 practitioners working in two urban settlements in two provinces of South Africa, while focus group interviews were carried out with the families of children attending two of the centres. The findings showed that an intercultural education approach provides the necessary tools to address challenges faced by practitioners including promoting social integration, respect for diversity and multilingualism, and the prevention of racist, xenophobic and discriminatory attitudes and actions.

Este trabajo explora la manera en que los educadores, trabajando en centros de educación infantil con niños entre tres y seis años atienden las necesidades de cada vez mayor número de niños de orígenes culturales y lingüísticos diversos. Esto es importante porque la etapa de la infancia es un momento crítico para crear una conciencia positiva sobre la diversidad. Se utilizó un diseño de investigación cualitativa e interactiva para identificar cuales son los valores, actitudes, conocimientos y estrategias que los educadores y las familias creen que son importantes para promover la integración social de los niños de diversos orígenes. Se utilizaron entrevistas en profundidad y observaciones participativas para recopilar datos de diez educadores de dos comunidades urbanas situadas en dos provincias de Sudáfrica. Asimismo, se entrevistaron las familias de los niños que asisten a dos de dichos centros. Los resultados mostraron que el modelo de educación intercultural proporciona las herramientas necesarias para hacer frente a los desafíos que los educadores enfrentan: la promoción de la integración social, el respeto a la diversidad y el multilingüismo, y la prevención de actitudes y acciones racistas, xenófobas y discriminatorias.     

Sovereignty in a Changing World: From Westphalia to Food Sovereignty

This article traces the shifting meaning of the notion of sovereignty from the modern age to the age of globalization and its aftermath, envisaging new constellations of sovereignty taking shape across the globe. Observing the term's centrality in the configuration of the modern nation-state and its epochal semantic shifts, it briefly examines the concept's ‘decline’ during the era of globalization. It then introduces the notion of ‘liquid sovereignty’ in the context of rapidly changing ideas of territoriality, power, and inter-dependence. This in turn, it is argued, is connected with the surfacing of new forms of sovereignty centred on aliments, nutrition, and survival, encapsulated in the notion of ‘food sovereignty’. The article suggests that the food sovereignty movement has helped in the recovery of basic aspects of sovereignty in a world threatened by climate change and neo-liberal globalization, as the cosmopolitical dimension merged with ethno-political claims, particularly amongst Indigenous Peoples in the Americas and, to a lesser extent, Western sub-state nationalist movements.     

Toward a Conceptual Framework for Understanding Community Belonging and Well-Being: Insights from a Queer-Mixed Perspective

Although previous research indicates a positive relationship between community belonging and well-being, little is known about how this relationship is experienced within diverse communities. In this study, interviews were conducted with 12 queer-mixed-identified individuals. Proposed is a conceptual framework for understanding how and why experiences of community belonging contribute to and detract from well-being. Specifically, the dimensions being close, being read, being seen, and being heard are explored through participants’ intersectional and often-contradictory narratives. This study may enhance scholarship regarding lived experiences of community; research and practice related to multiracial, queer, and trans* experiences; and community efforts to promote well-being.     

Inequities in health outcomes and access to health care in South Africa: a comparison between persons with and without disabilities

Health is a fundamental human right and if health care is to be universal and equitable it should not be less accessible to some sectors of society than to others. The objective of this study was to compare health outcomes and access to health care between persons living with disabilities and their non-disabled counterparts. The research was based on secondary data analysis of wave 1 of the National Income Dynamic Survey. Results from the study indicated that people with disabilities reported a higher incidence of communicable and non-communicable diseases, lower access to medical insurance and greater use of public health care than their non-disabled counterparts. In conclusion, the findings highlight the inequities in health outcomes and access to health services for people with disabilities and emphasise the need for disability-friendly health care policies that reduce barriers to accessing health care.     

A Critical View on the Role of NGOs in Systemic Capacity Building: Insights from Projects for Promoting Access to Water and Self-sufficiency in Food Production in Northern Ghana

The paper takes the example of Northern Ghana with its inadequate provision of basic social infrastructure for exploring the ability of NGOs to provide effective capacity building. It examines if NGOs have sufficient understanding and knowledge for operations and if their philosophy and objectives are enough to enable judgment and lasting successes. Weaknesses and strengths of NGOs are investigated as they still are indispensable organizations for developing backward areas, especially for fostering sustainable rural community development. It is shown that the theoretical framework of ‘landscape development' applies best to analyse how the many simultaneous transformations occur in this context and how they connect. A succinct impact study is exhibited in the paper to demonstrate how some of these effects come about. The survey regards World Vision, an international NGO that has been active in Ghana for a long time.     

Approaches to caring, essential elements for a quality service and cost-effectiveness in South Africa

By 2010 there will be close to two million orphans in South Africa, mainly as a result of HIV/AIDS. This paper assesses different approaches to the care and support of children orphaned by AIDS and other vulnerable children, as well as the cost-effectiveness of each approach. Using a typology of care and essential elements of care, six approaches are evaluated: informal, non-statutory foster care; community-based support; home-based care; unregistered residential care; statutory adoption and fostering; and statutory residential care. A cost-effectiveness analysis assessed actual programs and the costs of providing a minimum standard of care for the six approaches. High costs are associated with formal models of care. Informal approaches may lack the resources to meet children's rights. Resources should be largely allocated to the more cost-effective, informal, community-based structures, but formal models will still be needed for those children who cannot be placed elsewhere.     

Through community eyes: the transition of international organizations from community aid to development in postconflict Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone experienced an 11-year civil war, brutalizing its people and destroying its communities. With the cessation of violence, international organizations helped to secure peace, deliver aid and supplies, and, after, assist with development projects. This grounded theory study, which aims to understand the role these organizations played from the viewpoint of community members in 2 communities, posits that community members’ regard of international organizations lessened as their efforts transitioned from securing the peace and relief efforts to aid for development. Highlighted are the successes and challenges of this work and a broad discussion of implications and recommendations.     

Selecting a Computer-Based System to Assist Fund-Raising and Development Operations

Abstract

Increasingly, non-profit organizations and agencies must turn to the private sector to raise money to finance their work, and to increase the scope of their services. Computer software is available to assist and enhance organizational development efforts involving direct mail, “events,” and broadcast appeals. Social Work professionals may be responsible for selecting software systems for their agencies. What functions should such software perform? What criteria should it meet? The software should contain features that support each stage of a development cycle, manage mailing lists, provide financial and fund-accounting functions, produce letters and other communications, and generate statistics and reports for management control. Each of these functions is examined in some detail, as considerations to bear in mind when evaluating systems are discussed.     

The Congress of the People and the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication: from public deliberation to bureaucratic imposition in Kliptown

Kliptown was the site of the Congress of the People in June 1955 where the Freedom Charter was adopted – the culmination of two years of public deliberation. Fifty years later, in 2005, the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication, a memorial to the Freedom Charter, opened on the same site. The new Square and a set of related buildings were built by the Johannesburg Development Agency as part of the Kliptown Redevelopment Project. The article begins with a brief review of Kliptown's history, especially on the fringes of apartheid, and then explores the new Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication, which stands in stark contrast to its surroundings. The article continues with comment from local residents about the new Square. In an effort to understand what happened in Kliptown, it reviews the process by which the new Square design was chosen and the level of community involvement in the development of the Square. The section ‘Memorialising Kliptown’ briefly contrasts the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication with the District Six Museum and explores the concept of heritage as tourism. The article concludes ironically that in the era of democracy, in Kliptown – the home of the Freedom Charter – space for public deliberation has been severely curtailed.     

Cajun is Dead – Long Live Cajun: Shifting from a Linguistic to a Cultural Community

Researchers have reported an evolution or change in progress in the Cajun identity, though their intuitions have not been confirmed empirically. The traditional membership borders of what a community consists of no longer apply in the case of Cajun. In order to understand these questions of identity and belonging, and to scientifically control the interpretation of the linguistic behavior of Cajun speakers, a general survey has been conducted on the linguistic attitudes and cultural identity of a sample of 929 individuals stratified by age and sex from four communities. Our results show that Cajun identity rests fundamentally in the linguistic ability of the speakers, regardless of the age group one is in: the more one has access to the Cajun language, the more one self-identifies as Cajun. In general, respondents claim that the necessary criteria to be considered Cajun are just those criteria that they themselves satisfy. We will demonstrate that there appear to be several 'paths' to take insofar as the Cajun community identity in Louisiana is concerned. However, this segmentation obviously has not been established or maintained without creating considerable tension between members of the cultural Cajun community.