Who Cares? : The plight of lone mothers: Social security provision and autonomy

Abstract

This scholarly book aims to enhance a socio-scientific examination of social policy in South Africa. It employs interdisciplinary analytical tools that employ historical, political, and socio-economic dimensions. This book presents research conducted within temporal and spatial spheres that are crucial to defining the social landscape of South Africa. Empirical data is derived from two pivotal timeframes: a decade following the introduction of the child support grant in South Africa (in 2008) and the year 2021, influenced by the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This book presents research that is a blend of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. This approach integrates diverse epistemologies to bolster the study and offer additional insights. The qualitative component aims to deconstruct social policy-related phenomena, such as family values, work attitudes, and social assistance to uncover possible causes of success or failure. In addition, the study focuses on the perceptions of lone mothers in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa, allowing for a detailed exploration of challenges in economic migration, given the significant population movement between the two provinces. The quantitative component is nationally representative and spans the qualitative primary research focus periods (2008, 2020 and 2021), demonstrating employment and unemployment trends from 2008 to 2021. Additional themes explored in this book include spatial inequalities, unpaid childcare, dignity and poverty.