Exploring the Lived Experiences of Seasonally Unemployed Parents in the Gouda Area

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of seasonally unemployed parents in the Gouda area of the Western Province. Positive psychology provided the theoretical framework. A qualitative descriptive research design was used and seven adult parents were selected purposefully. Thematic data analysis focused on the inductive coding of collected data. Findings indicate that seasonally unemployed parents experience periods of employment and unemployment as distinctly different. Yet their experiences during periods of being employed or not are described as a series of challenges varying in degrees of difficulty for parents and their children.

Perspectives on family resilience in the face of unemployment: a case study on unemployed City of Johannesburg families

“…Other South African studies confirmed spiritual practices as the source of resilience in low -and middle–income communities (Van Breda, 2016), enhancing beliefs that safeguard families from the harmful effects of exposure to violence (Isaacs et al, 2020). Izaks et al (2018) also provide a focus on families using spiritual strengths and prayers to cope with the negative effects of seasonal unemployment. Very recent literature demonstrates the renewed use of spirituality as a coping mechanism since the COVID-19 pandemic by people facing possible employment changes and adversity (Burton et al, 2023; O’Connor et al, 2021).…”

“…Various factors contribute to the rising unemployment rate such as a poor economy, corruption, and skills mismatch (Department of Labour, 2019; Du Toit et al, 2018; Plagerson et al, 2019), resulting in a protracted social crisis. Several research studies have highlighted the negative impact of unemployment on families, which poses an immediate threat to their well-being and functioning (Izaks et al, 2018; Khumalo et al, 2012; Makiwane et al, 2017; Theron & Phasha, 2015). With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic (World Health Organization, 2020), the situation worsened, resulting in many more people losing their jobs.…”