Univ., Diss.--Bern, 2006.

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Philosophy

This thesis explores contemporary Lakota identity, as informed by the life story narratives of Melda and Lupe Trejo. Melda Red Bear (Lakota) was born on Pine Ridge (Oglala Lakota / Sioux) Reservation in South Dakota (1939-). Her husband, Lupe Trejo (1938-1999) is Mexican and has been a long-term resident of the reservation. I first met this couple in 1994 and developed an abiding friendship with them prior to our decision to collaborate in recording their storytelling sessions (1997-98). The recording and interpretation of the material evokes ethical questions about power and representation that have arisen with debates about 'as-told-to' autobiographies. Theoretical and methodological issues associated with cultural anthropology, literary criticism and oral history are part of the interdisciplinary intellectual work of this research and are discussed in the context of the project. The thesis follows an introspective, recursive methodology, where early research decisions are analyzed in the light of what I have learned in this process of apprenticeship to Lakota traditional thinkers. The narratives reveal that contemporary Lakota identity encompasses colonial discourses, strategic responses to such impositions, and an autonomous indigenous system of beliefs. This epistemological tradition, that is, traditional Lakota spiritual beliefs, promotes an acknowledgment of relations as opposed to exclusive categories of cultural difference. Melda Trejo has substantial connections to the Lakota community and her marriage follows the traditional pattern of "marrying out." Lupe Trejo configures his Mexican ancestry in ways that align with the Lakota people while also acknowledging his difference in the community. Melda and Lupe define themselves as Lakota through their spiritual practice in the Sundance as it reappeared in the cultural resurgence at Pine Ridge in the 1970s and 1980s. They situate themselves and their Sundance amid the controversies that surround authentic practices and the participation of outsiders in the ceremony. The thesis provides an interpretive framework, supported by additional life stories as well as critical and ethnographic material, for the analysis of selected stories.

This research aimed to undertake an investigation into the question of whether after divorce, in the matrilineal customary law marriage in Malawi, women's rights are severely violated. The study showed causes of divorce, how proceedings are done, how issues of property are handled, how the issue of custody of children and maintenance are also handled. All this was weighed against the constitutional provisions and international law.

In the wake of HIV and AIDS in Africa, culture has been identified as central to HIV prevention, care, and support. Therefore, scholars have argued that HIV intervention in communities should focus on cultural practices rather than just individual behaviour. Researchers have also taken note of the interconnectedness between religion and culture in Africa. Therefore the African theologian, Mercy Oduyoye, proposed the term ‘religioculture.’ In the light of this connection, it has become crucial to examine not just cultural practices but the response of religion to cultural practices in the context of HIV. Given that Zambia is a Christian country, this qualitative empirical study sought to examine the response of a church, the United Church of Zambia (UCZ), to traditional marriage practices that I consider to be harmful in the context of HIV. Traditional marriage practices such as child marriage and widowhood inheritance were analysed through gendered theological perspectives. The study was located in the United Church of Zambia in the towns of Mufulira and Kitwe in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The reason for choosing the practices of widowhood inheritance and child marriage as the areas of focus was twofold: first, throughout history and in the current context, the church and society’s perception of these two practices has been ambiguous. Depending on the time and event in history, the practices were seen as either a norm or a problem. In this study, I have questioned the extent to which this historical ambiguity towards these traditional marriage practices has contributed to the way in which the church today is responding to these culture practices. The second reason for choosing these two marriage practices was to highlight how the institution of marriage has been challenged in the context of HIV and AIDS. When marriage ceases to be a safe practice for couples, how should the church respond to the harmful cultural practices associated with marriage, especially in the context of HIV and AIDS? The question that this study posed, therefore, was: What role has the United Church of Zambia played in either promoting or discouraging harmful marriage practices in the context of HIV and AIDS? The methodology used to answer this question included: semi- structured interviews, openended in-depth interviews, Contextual Bible Study, and focus group discussions as forms of data collection from: church leaders, lay people, widows, girls involved in child marriage, and members of the Marriage Guidance Committee. Thereafter, the data was thematically ii analysed using the theory of African feminist cultural hermeneutics. The study is divided into eight chapters, each chapter answers one of the objectives of the study. Through the use of the tools for data collection stated above, the study drew a number of conclusions. Firstly, it was established that indeed child marriage and widowhood inheritance are contributing factors to the spread of HIV. Secondly, the Marriage Guidance Programme of the United Church of Zambia was identified as a point of entry in re-examining the theology of marriage that is contextual and holistic in the United Church of Zambia. Thirdly, the church’s ambivalence with regard to harmful marriage practices in the context of HIV and AIDS was attributed to people’s belief systems about their cultures which are embedded in their worldviews. Overall, the study has shown that there is a need for an analysis of culture within the church which can enable it to respond to harmful cultural practices in the context of HIV. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

This research aimed to undertake an investigation into the question of whether after divorce, in the matrilineal customary law marriage in Malawi, women's rights are severely violated. The study showed causes of divorce, how proceedings are done, how issues of property are handled, how the issue of custody of children and maintenance are also handled. All this was weighed against the constitutional provisions and international law.

This thesis explores contemporary Lakota identity, as informed by the life story narratives of Melda and Lupe Trejo. Melda Red Bear (Lakota) was born on Pine Ridge (Oglala Lakota / Sioux) Reservation in South Dakota (1939-). Her husband, Lupe Trejo (1938-1999) is Mexican and has been a long-term resident of the reservation. I first met this couple in 1994 and developed an abiding friendship with them prior to our decision to collaborate in recording their storytelling sessions (1997-98). The recording and interpretation of the material evokes ethical questions about power and representation that have arisen with debates about 'as-told-to' autobiographies. Theoretical and methodological issues associated with cultural anthropology, literary criticism and oral history are part of the interdisciplinary intellectual work of this research and are discussed in the context of the project. The thesis follows an introspective, recursive methodology, where early research decisions are analyzed in the light of what I have learned in this process of apprenticeship to Lakota traditional thinkers. The narratives reveal that contemporary Lakota identity encompasses colonial discourses, strategic responses to such impositions, and an autonomous indigenous system of beliefs. This epistemological tradition, that is, traditional Lakota spiritual beliefs, promotes an acknowledgment of relations as opposed to exclusive categories of cultural difference. Melda Trejo has substantial connections to the Lakota community and her marriage follows the traditional pattern of "marrying out." Lupe Trejo configures his Mexican ancestry in ways that align with the Lakota people while also acknowledging his difference in the community. Melda and Lupe define themselves as Lakota through their spiritual practice in the Sundance as it reappeared in the cultural resurgence at Pine Ridge in the 1970s and 1980s. They situate themselves and their Sundance amid the controversies that surround authentic practices and the participation of outsiders in the ceremony. The thesis provides an interpretive framework, supported by additional life stories as well as critical and ethnographic material, for the analysis of selected stories. / Medicine, Faculty of / Graduate

Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Marriage enrichment was developed to equip couples with the necessary skills and knowledge to help them achieve a happy marriage. It is successful with respect to the improvement of the marriage relationship and the encouragement of marital satisfaction. The marriage enrichment programmes that were developed up till now, were developed for the use of residents of First World countries. The goal of this study was to identify farm workers’ experience of marriage and their needs with respect to marriage, in order to make recommendations with regard to elements that could be included in a marriage enrichment programme for farm workers. A qualitative research design was used, as semi-structured interviews with the help of an interview schedule were conducted with thirteen farm workers who live and work on two farms in different geographical areas around Stellenbosch. Information was gathered by separately interviewing marriage partners, in order to ensure that conversations were not influenced by the presence of the marriage partner. Participants not only consisted of legally married couples, but also couples who were involved in a long-term relationship. The literature study focused on the circumstances of farm workers in the Western Cape. It also focused on theories underpinning current marriage enrichment programmes, and discussed and described the content of selected current marriage enrichment programmes. General challenges facing couples and which are typically included in marriage enrichment programmes were also discussed. Three themes emerged during findings and conclusions of the study. These include various sub-themes arising from the alcohol abuse of farm workers, and distinctive qualities of happy and unhappy couples. Recommendations were made with regard to these themes, while the theories on which current marriage enrichment programmes were based, as well as its exercises and elements were kept in mind. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Huweliksverryking is ontwikkel om egpare met die nodige kennis en vaardighede toe te rus ter bereiking van ‘n gelukkige huwelik. Dit is doeltreffend ten opsigte van die verbetering van die huweliksverhouding en die bevordering van huwelikstevredenheid. Die huweliksverrykings-programme wat egter wel ontwikkel is, is vir die gebruik van inwoners van Eerste Wêreld-lande ontwikkel. Die doel van hierdie studie was om plaaswerkers se ervaring van die huwelik en hul behoeftes ten opsigte van die huwelik te identifiseer, sodat aanbevelings gemaak kan word ten opsigte van elemente wat ingesluit kan word in ‘n huweliksverrykingsprogram vir plaaswerkers. ‘n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp is benut, aangesien semi-geskeduleerde onderhoude aan die hand van ‘n onderhoudskedule gevoer is met dertien plaaswerkers wat woon en werk op twee plase in verskillende geografiese areas buite Stellenbosch. Onderhoude met huweliksmaats het apart van mekaar plaasgevind, om te verseker dat gesprekke nie deur die teenwoordigheid van die huweliksmaat beïnvloed kon word nie. Deelnemers het nie net bestaan uit wettiglik getroude egpare nie, maar ook paartjies wat in ‘n langtermynverhouding betrokke is. Die literatuurstudie het gefokus op die omstandighede van Wes-Kaapse plaaswerkers. Dit het ook gefokus op teorieë waarop bestaande huweliksverrykingsprogramme gebaseer is, en het verskeie geselekteerde bestaande huweliksverrykingsprogramme se inhoud bepaal en omskryf. Algemene uitdagings waarmee egpare te doen kry, en wat tipies in huweliksverrykingsprogramme bespreek word, is ook bespreek. Tydens bevindinge en gevolgtrekkings van die studie het drie temas na vore gekom. Dit sluit in verskeie sub-temas ten opsigte van alkoholmisbruik tussen plaaswerkers en die onderskeie eienskappe van gelukkige en ongelukkige egpare. Die aanbevelings is ten opsigte van hierdie temas gemaak, met inagneming van bestaande huweliksverrykingsprogramme se elemente, oefeninge en die teorieë waarop dit gebaseer is.

Thesis (MA. (African Languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / Tsenguluso iyi yo bvisela khagala matshimbidzele a mbingano ya Vhavenḓa zwi tshi kwama zwine mbingano iyi ya vha zwone, u dzhenelela ha vhabebi, maambisele, u lugiselwa ha mbingano, lumalo u swika kha u vhinga kana u vhingwa. Yo dovha ya bvisela khagala khaedu dzo livhanaho na iyi mbingano ṋamusi dzine dza vha u sa dzhenelela ha vhabebi kha mbingano dza vhana vhavho. U ḓiṱoḓela vhafunwa ha vhaswa ano maḓuvha, zwiitisi zwa u sa malwa ha vhafumakadzi khathihi na u sengulusa uri ndi ngani vhanna ano maḓuvha vha si tsha mala vhafumakadzi vhanzhi.