Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune - September 28, 2005
Connie Lauerman
WomanNews talked with Mazibuko the day before she addressed the conference:
Q. What led you to choose social work as a profession?
A. It was an accident of time and history. My intention was to study law. In the culture of old South Africa [under apartheid], test results from African schools would be delayed, so I registered social work as an interim major while I was waiting, and I got very interested. It is about people, about social justice, engaging and implementing policy. It is about quality of life.
Q. Worldwide, is social work in crisis?
A. New challenges have emerged, and social work as a profession must redefine its niche in the global agenda and [rethink] training programs. HIV/AIDS, for example, is an international issue. We need to look at new ways of dealing with the pandemic because the incidence of HIV/AIDS is increasing and, in the case of southern Africa, we have households headed by children. That's a new phenomenon. The family structure is altered completely in most societies. Families now have many different forms. We have absentee mothers, absentee fathers. You've got woman-woman families and man-man families.
And we've got technology and mass media as a competing agent when it comes to socialization. Children listen to the entertainment industry more than they listen to a parent.
Q. You were part of a research project at Nelson Mandela Medical School. What were some of the results?
A. We looked at certain trends, such as whom HIV-positive people disclose their status to. There is still a stigma internationally. We found that most people disclose to a woman, either a mother or a sister. They're afraid of rejection if they disclose their status to a partner.
We found out people go to traditional healers for treatment. In a child labor study, we asked regular children and children engaged in prostitution what they thought was the cause of an HIV-positive parent's death, and children ages 12 and 13 mentioned witchcraft. We still have people who believe if you sleep with a virgin you will be cured of AIDS. It's scary. Interventions may not be addressing those variables.
Q. Are most social workers still women?
A. Oh, yes. It's the historical trend, just like nursing and teaching are primarily female-dominated professions. We see growing numbers of young people enrolled in the disciplines of social work and psychology, but we don't see them going into practice in Africa. Many are going to the United Kingdom. We need to move faster [in Africa] to make salaries and working conditions more attractive.
050928
CT050907
Copyright © 2005 - Chicago Tribune. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Chicago Tribune, Permissions Desk, 435 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 http://www.chicagotribune.com
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .