Bibliography: leaves 286-301. / Most of what little research has been done on South African lesbians has been based on a clinical perspective. This study is based on Kitzinger's (1987) British research on the social construction of lesbianism, which includes an analysis of seven accounts of lesbian identities elicited using Q methodology. The major aim of this research was to find the accounts of lesbian identities presented by some South African lesbians, as the first stage in examining the ways in which these identities are constructed. Auxiliary aims were to examine the accounts of the natures and roles of women and men in society (rather than having the women identify their feminist and non-feminist orientations) and to attempt to link these two sets of accounts. One hundred and six self-identified lesbians, located largely in the major urban areas, volunteered, and sixty participated fully in the research. The participants ranged in age from 17 to 58, with a mean of 30.4 years. The majority were in managerial and professional positions (50%) or students (23.3%); and roost had completed a minimum of Standard 10. Fifty-five are classified "white", three "black African", one "Asian" and one "coloured". A Q-sample (1) of 65 statements, using Kitzinger's broad definition of lesbianism as a guideline, was developed from various sources including correspondence with participants. A second Q-sample (2) was developed from feminist and non-feminist perspectives on women, men and society presented in this thesis. Volunteers were sent a demographic questionnaire, and all those who returned this were sent the Q-samples and a standard set of instructions for completing the Q-sorts. The principal components factor analytic technique, with varimax rotation, was used to analyse the completed Q-sorts. Fourteen factors were extracted for Q-sample 1, and accounts were developed from the resulting factor Q-sorts. Two accounts were discarded. The following twelve accounts of lesbian identities are presented: "born lesbian; and happy"; "feminist and happy"; "woman-loving-woman"; woman-choosing-woman"; "definitely lesbian, but no different from heterosexuals"; "no strong sense of lesbian identity"; "certainly lesbian, but not really happy"; "lesbian as fairly happy gay person"; "wanting to be a man"; "bisexuality: lesbianism as sexual identity"; "lesbianism as sexual rejection of men"; and "sinful and sorry". Thirteen factors were extracted from the analysis of Q-sample 2, and one of the resulting accounts was discarded. These accounts can generally be characterised as moderate, with some support for feminist propositions and a strong rejection of both conservative views about women and controversial feminist propositions. Attempts to link the two sets of accounts were unsuccessful for a number of reasons which are discussed. The research fulfils one criterion for feminist research in that many participants found the process of completing the Q-sorts valuable. The need for a post Q-sort interview to clarify accounts is stressed. Suggestions are made for research into the way these identities are constructed; and for investigations into the experiences of "black" lesbians.

Women’s bodies and sexualities across history and race have been subjected to policing by the state, society and men. However, within the context of Black sexuality, black women’s bodies have been subject to silencing during the colonial encounter.This exploratory study set to document the subjective meanings associated with the Black WLW sexual identity of 50 women in Soweto. This study seeks to contribute to the recently emerging body of literature which has documented Black women’s same-sex sexualities as means to render their identities and experiences visible. Furthermore, to capture the terms used to describes samesex practicing women. The Q methodology was used to capture the various expressions along with their subjective representation. Two main distinct accounts emerged from the analysis. The Q analysis results indicated that there are two dominant forms of gender expressions and perceptions of what constitutes a Black WLW sexual identity in Soweto. Factor A distinguished itself through conceptualising this sexual identity in a ‘closed construction’ of attraction, with distinct gender roles. As such women in this factor identified with a sense of being domineering in the relationship, with potential partners expected to cook and clean. On the other hand, women who defined Factor B had a more inclusive construction of the Black WLW. These women placed emphasis on being comfortable with the bodies, particularly their breasts. Additionally, they valued the notion of equality in their relationships from sharing household chores to believing that sex should be about both partners pleasuring each other. The study also unpacked the meaning of self-identifying terms used by WLW in Soweto. In the absence of historically positive terms for same-sex sexualities, specifically indigenous terms, labelling becomes a site that does not prioritise meaning but reflects the negotiation of an oppressed sexual identity. What is in a name becomes a continuous struggle of reclaiming existence and visibility with oneself, the lesbian and gay community and the broader society.

M.A. (Clinical Psychology), University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities / In 1996 South Africa was the first country in the world to protect sexual minorities from discrimination in its Constitution. The benefits of a liberal constitution cannot go unacknowledged, however, negotiating lesbian identity within the work context is still a challenge due to the pervasive stigma attached to homosexuality, as well as the remnants of South Africa’s stormy, oppressive political history. Lesbian woman in South Africa grow up in a society which remains predominantly patriarchal and conservatively religious and where the heterosexual assumption, the idea that one is ‘straight’ unless otherwise stated, is continually confirmed and perpetuated in a variety of contexts, including the occupational environment. It is within this setting that lesbian women woman must attempt to negotiate and continually, in varying degrees, and not always by choice, take part in the coming out process in different social spaces. In interviews with seven self-identified lesbian women, the dynamic process of coming out within the occupational environment, was explored in relation to and within relevant cultural, historical, familial and social contexts. All participants had disclosed their sexual identity within the work place, in varying degrees. Key aims of the research were exploring the negotiation of lesbian identity in various occupational contexts as well as identifying strategies used to negotiate the work environment and lesbian identity / MT2017