Unemployment experiences in context: A phenomenological study in two townships in South Africa

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the unemployment experience of residents of a historically disadvantaged South African neighbourhood. Informants were twelve black community members (females = 75%; age ranges: 20 to 29 = 58.3%, and 30 to 39 = 33.3%). Individual interviews were conducted with the participants. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that participants valued employment despite their present unemployment. They indicated that being unemployed is a painful experience, but that they also held an optimistic view of a future in which they would have employment. The findings further suggest that diminished social support by the community and public social welfare agencies aggravate negative experiences of unemployment. Employment support programmes are needed to connect the unemployed to job networks; as well as to empower those who are unemployed to fulfil their positive work participation expectations.

Keywords:

• community incohesion
• experience
• political context
• township
• South Africa
• unemployment

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr Kerrin Myres, Richard Douglas, and Dr Susanne Friese for their invaluable advice and comments on the analysis process of this research. We would also like to thank the co-interviewers for their continued support and our interviewees for trusting us and sharing their stories with us. This work was financially supported by the Vlaamse Inter Universitaire Raad (VLIR).