Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the resilience processes
employed by families from a low socio-economic background living in a
predominantly black township (Mamelodi). The study further aimed to assess how
the participants’ experiences have shaped their perceptions of their society. Walsh’s
family resilience framework (2003) served as a conceptual framework for the study.
Two grandparent-headed households were selected from an ongoing study at a nongovernmental
organisation and drop-in centre in Mamelodi. A qualitative
methodology was suitable for this study, because it aims to understand how the
participants derive meaning from the social and cultural contexts within which they
live. The two focus group discussions were conducted in isiZulu, with a translator
present during the grandmothers’ focus group discussion, because one of the
grandmothers spoke Xitsonga. The sessions were audio-recorded and later
transcribed. The transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis in order to
deduce themes that emerged from the participants’ experiences. Based on the
results, a better understanding of how families from low socio-economic backbackgrounds
develop their resilience was established through the themes that
emerged, which were as follows: belief system, flexibility of roles and
connectedness, unsupportive environment, and self-empowerment. The results were
related to existing literature and Walsh’s family resilience framework.
