Social work research on the feelings and perceptions of aids patients in a South African clinic

Abstract

A qualitative approach was followed in order to gain in-depth information on the topic. Qualitative research has to a large measure been neglected by social scientists due to various reasons. However, during the last decade, there has been a shift in emphasis in the teaching of qualitative research methods in South African schools of Social Work and hopefully this shift will also take place in Social Work practice. The philosophy of qualitative research is by and large similar to that of Social Work practice, although the emphasis ofresearch and therapeutic intervention differ. The research project was done on the perceptions and feelings of HIV/AIDS patients at the Wola Nani Clinic for AIDS-patients at the Potchefstroom Hospital. Participant observation and semistructured interviewing were utilised as data-gathering methods for the mentioned project.

In this article focus will be placed on the HIV/AIDS scenario in South 'Africa, after which the research set-up at the clinic will be described. Qualitative research, participant observation and semi-structured interviewing will be discussed in order to place the empirical study, that will be reported on in this paper, in perspective. The rest of the paper will be devoted to the various sections of the empirical investigation.