Decency free essay sample

The concept of decency in the park/ decency (Ordenlikheid) respectability Decency and respectability otherwise known as ordenlikhied is a key cornerstone of any society. Each and every community has its own set of values which members are supposed to follow. This essay is going to discuss decency paying particular attention to young girls who fall pregnant in their teens in South Africa and similar scenario in Zimbabwe of teenage mothers. It is also going to look at the policies used in the 1930s in South African government in order to create a good white person. Nina Botha discusses the experiences of young Afrikaner girls who fall pregnant in their teens. Her particular focus is on a group of girls who are taken to a reform school whereby they are taught who to be good and respectable mothers. One of the things highlighted by Nina Botha is the pressures which young girls face in the pre and post conception period. We will write a custom essay sample on Decency or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She points out that one of the major problems which young Afrikaner and non Afrikaner girls face is the issue of poverty Nina Botha (2009). According to Botha in the majority of the young teenage pregnancies the people who re mostly involved come from lower middle class group. These people are poverty stricken and come from places were the family unit is most of the time instable. This often results in the cases of teenage pregnancies because the support structures and the proper care will not be available. Therefore the background of the young girl can be considered as one the pressures which face young women. Furthermore, looking at the pre conception period, young women also face the problem of dealing with their parents. As a result of the pregnancy there is ivergence which occurs between the mother and the pregnant young woman. An example mention by Nina Botha is that of a girl called Mina got pregnant . The parents are often looked down by the society because they failed to raise their child properly. This is when the concept of decency comes in (ordelikhied), because the parents will no longer be respectable members of the community because they are seen as not normal in their inability to raise their child in way which is socially acceptable. Thus looking at the pre conception period the friction created by the regnant teenager and the parents standing in the community can be seen as one of the pressures young women face. One of the pressures young women faced was the issue of the reform school. According to Nina Botha the school ensures that girls that leave the school are balanced and socially acceptable mothers. This process of turning the pregnant women into good mothers is done through the intervention of social workers, the church (Dutch reformed Church) and counselors. However the process is not simple. Some young women are difficult to change their way of life.