Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-857557d7f7-qdphv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-12-02T03:07:29.307Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 7 - Social Work in Need of Activism

A Story about Gangs, Marginalization, and Crime in Two South African Townships

from Part I - Storying-to-Learn: How Stories-that-Matter Help Us Appreciate Social Work in Action

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2025

Tony Ghaye
Affiliation:
The Arctic University of Norway
Rita Sørly
Affiliation:
The Arctic University of Norway
Get access

Summary

1. In what way can we develop stories while working in conflict-ridden, unpredictable, and violent environments? 2. What are the human rights issues in this story? 3. What role does poverty play in relation to human rights? 4. What issues of security and safeguarding arise from this story?

Information

Type
Chapter
Information
Learning through Social Work Stories-That-Matter
Global Perspectives
, pp. 92 - 109
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Baird, A. (2015). Duros and gangland girlfriends: Male identity, gang socialisation and rape in Medellín. In Auyero, J., Bourgois, P., & Scheper-Hughes, N. (eds.), Violence at the Urban Margins in the Americas, pp.112–32. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Baird, A. (2017). Becoming the ‘baddest’: Masculine trajectories of gang violence in Medellín. Journal of Latin American Studies, 50(1), 183210. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022216X17000761CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, nj: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Bent-Goodley, T. B. (2015). Editorial: A call for social work activism. Social Work, 60(2), 101–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bharti, P. (2012). Dehumanization of Urban and Rural Poor: Applied Social Psychology. Lap Lambert Academic Publishing.Google Scholar
Briskman, L. (2014). Reflections of an activist social worker: Challenging human rights violations. In Noble, C., Strauss, H., & Littlechild, B. (eds.), Global Social Work: Crossing Borders, Blurring Boundaries, pp.301–10. Sydney University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1fxm2q.25Google Scholar
Butler, J. (2004). Undergoing Gender. New York: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, A., & Wainwright, S. (2005). Combating poverty and social exclusion: Implications for social work education. Social Work Education, 24(3), 259–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Wet, C. (2016). The Cape Times’s portrayal of school violence. South African Journal of Education, 36(2), 112. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v36n2a1231CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dziewanski, D. (2021). Gang Entry and Exit in Cape Town: Getting beyond the Streets in Africa’s Deadliest City. Bingley: Emerald Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Endoh, F. T. (2015). Democratic constitutionalism in post-Apartheid South Africa: The interim Constitution revisited. Africa Review, 7 (1), 6779. https://doi.org/10.1080/09744053.2014.990769CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galtung, J. (1969). Violence, peace, and peace research. Journal of Peace Research, 6, 167–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galtung, J. (1990). Cultural violence. Journal of Peace Research, 27, 291305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ife, J., Soldatić, K., & Briskman, L. (2022). Human Rights and Social Work. Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IFSW (International Federation of Social Workers). (2018). Global social work statement of ethical principles. www.ifsw.org/global-social-work-statement-of-ethical-principles (accessed 2 February 2024).Google Scholar
Johnson, R. W. (1977). How Long Will South Africa Survive? The Looming Crisis. London: Hurst.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, C. (1998). Social work and society. In Adams, R., Dominelli, L., & Payne, M. (eds.), Social Work: Themes, Issues and Critical Debates, pp.3340. Basingstoke: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Kam, P. K. (2014). Back to the ‘social’ of social work: Reviving the social work profession’s contribution to the promotion of social justice. International Social Work, 57(6), 723–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872812447118CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kempen, A. (2020). Community safety tips – gangs: Recruitment often starts with children – being forewarned is being forearmed. Servamus Community-based Safety and Security Magazine, 113(2), 56–9.Google Scholar
Kiewit, L. (2019, 19 July). Boys join gangs to survive in toxic environment. Mail & Guardian, https://mg.co.za/article/2019-07-19-00-boys-join-gangs-to-survive-in-toxic-environment.Google Scholar
Kosko, S. J., Dastin, A., Merrill, M., & Sheth, R. (2022) Marginalised youth activism: Peer-engaged research and epistemic justice. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 23(1), 136–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacMaster, L. (2010). In search of a family: The challenge of gangsterism to faith communities on the Cape Flats. PhD thesis, University of Stellenbosch.Google Scholar
Manus, V. B. (2011). Emerging Traditions: Toward a Postcolonial Stylistics of Black South African Fiction in English. Lanham, md: Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Mguzulwa, S., & Gxubane, T. (2019). The impact of youth gang violence on the educational attainment of male high school learners in Khayelitsha. Social Work, 55(3), 267–83.Google Scholar
Mmatli, T. (2008). Political activism as a social work strategy in Africa. International Social Work, 51(3), 297310. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872807083913CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Modise, K. (2020, 16 June). SA’s young people still face unemployment and poverty. iAfrica, https://iafrica.com/sas-young-people-still-face-unemployment-and-poverty.Google Scholar
Monareng, C. (2016). Making the number positive: Addressing youth needs that gangs fulfil. Safer Spaces, www.saferspaces.org.za/blog/entry/making-the-number-positive-addressing-youth-needs-that-gangs-fulfil.Google Scholar
Ndhlovu, G. N. (2020). Youth and gang violence in South Africa: An intended or unintended outcome of institutional systems. PhD thesis, University of Fort Hare.Google Scholar
Ndhlovu, G. N. (2022, 1 March). Idle and frustrated: Young South Africans speak about the need for recreational facilities. The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/idle-and-frustrated-young-south-africans-speak-about-the-need-for-recreational-facilities-176921.Google Scholar
Ndhlovu, G. N., & Tanga, P. (2021, 12 October). Study paints a grim picture of what young gangsters think about violence and manhood. The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/study-paints-a-grim-picture-of-what-young-gangsters-think-about-violence-and-manhood-168861.Google Scholar
Nussbaum, M. (2006). Human Rights and Human Capabilities. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Pinnock, D. (2019, 10 August). Cape Town’s bloody gang violence is inextricably bound up in its history. Mail & Guardian, https://mg.co.za/article/2019-08-10-00-cape-towns-bloody-gang-violence-is-inextricably-bound-up-in-its-history.Google Scholar
Republic of South Africa. (1996). Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Pretoria: Government Printers.Google Scholar
Rispel, L., Molomo, B., & Dumela, S. (2008). South African Case Study on Social Exclusion. Cape Town: Human Sciences Research Council.Google Scholar
Sefali, P. (2014, 27 May). Young, high and dangerous: Youth gangs and violence in Khayelitsha. GroundUp, https://groundup.org.za/article/young-high-and-dangerous-youth-gangs-and-violence-khayelitsha_1823.Google Scholar
Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Sen, A. (2005). Human rights and capabilities. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 6(2), 151–66.Google Scholar
Sharkey, J. D., Shekhtmeyster, Z., Chavez-Lopez, L., Norris, E. & Sass, L. (2011). The protective influence of gangs: Can schools compensate? Aggression and Violent Behavior, 16(1), 4554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2010.11.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistics South Africa. (2020). How unequal is South Africa? www.statssa.gov.za/?p=12930Google Scholar
Statistics South Africa. (2021). Youth still find it difficult to secure jobs in South Africa. www.statssa.gov.za/?p=14415Google Scholar
Stoeffler, S. W. (2019). Social work and poverty: A critical examination of intersecting theories. Social Development Issues, 41(2), 2132.Google Scholar
Tutu, D., & Tutu, M. (2014). The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World. London: William Collins.Google Scholar
United Nations. (2024). Building on the legacy of Nelson Mandela. www.un.org/en/exhibits/page/building-legacy-nelson-mandelaGoogle Scholar
Van der Linde, D. (2020). The criminalisation of gang activity in South Africa: Reassessing the rationale. South African Crime Quarterly, 69, 3544. https://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3108/2020/i69a6464Google Scholar
Van der Merwe, H. (2013). Violence as a Form of Communication: Making Sense of Violence in South Africa. Cape Town: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation.Google Scholar
Van der Westhuizen, M., & Gawulayo, S. (2021). Youths in gangs on the Cape Flats: If not in gangs, then what? Social Work, 57(1), 118–32.Google Scholar
Ward, C. L., Van der Merwe, A., & Dawes, A. (2012). Youth Violence: Sources and Solutions in South Africa. Cape Town: UCT Press.Google Scholar
Yildirim, F., Öztürk, H., & Abukan, B. (2021). Examination of social workers’ attitudes towards sustainable development and environment in the focus of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 22(7), 1592–608.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zaaroura, M. (2016, 7 June). Youth turn to violence and gangs as local governments struggle with security. Safer Spaces, www.saferspaces.org.za/blog/entry/youth-turn-to-violence-and-gangs-as-local-governments-struggleGoogle Scholar
Zlobina, A., Bettinsoli, M. L., Miranda, M. P., & Formanowicz, M. (2023). Back to basics: Human rights violations and dehumanization. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 51, 101263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2023.101263CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Accessibility standard: Inaccessible, or known limited accessibility

Why this information is here

This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

Accessibility Information

The PDF of this book is known to have missing or limited accessibility features. We may be reviewing its accessibility for future improvement, but final compliance is not yet assured and may be subject to legal exceptions. If you have any questions, please contact accessibility@cambridge.org.

Content Navigation

Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.

Reading Order & Textual Equivalents

Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Full alternative textual descriptions
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.

Visual Accessibility

Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×