Responding to a body of literature that identifies road crashes caused by drinking and driving as a serious social and economic issue in South Africa, this research aims to investigate behaviour and beliefs relating to drinking and driving among young males in the Pietermaritzburg area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This sampling criterion emanates from the identification of this group as an at-risk demographic for alcohol-related road accidents and fatalities. Underpinned by Albert Bandura’s Social-Cognitive Theory, which explores the reciprocal relationship between beliefs, behaviour and environment to explain behaviour, the research surveyed 190 young males between the ages of 18 and 35 years that self-identify as drunk drivers. The research focused on determining and describing the constraining and enabling factors contributing to drinking and driving among the group. The findings explore the high frequency of drinking and driving in the sample which is found to be, to varying degrees, informed by their relationship to their family, peer groups and social context. The research also uncovers a concerning trend of overestimating driving ability when drunk. It further identifies a lack of perceived risk relating to law enforcement. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between ideas and practices of masculinity and help-seeking behaviour amongst young South African men. The need for this research has been motivated by both the limited amount of previous research in this area, and the importance of this kind of research. It was hypothesized that there would be a relationship between the intended and actual help-seeking behaviour, and the common ideas and practices of masculinity amongst the young men taking part in this research. It was hypothesized that where young men agreed with traditional conceptualizations of masculinity their intention and rate of actual help-seeking would be less. The sample included a diverse group of 100 young men attending the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg. Participants included young men from various religious, language, sexual orientation and faculty groups. The data for this research was collected using a questionnaire assessing intended and actual help-seeking behaviour, and participants‟ acceptance of traditional conceptualizations of masculinity. The findings of this study have shown that young men in this context have a low intention and rate of help-seeking behaviour from various help sources, but especially from formal sources such as mental health professionals and general practitioners. It has also found that there are differences in the common ideas and practices of masculinity between young men from different religious, faculty and sexual orientation groups. However, despite the initial hypothesis, this study has been unable to show a clear relationship between ideas and practices of masculinity and help-seeking behaviour. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, PIetermaritzburg, 2008.

This dissertation sought to delve into the deconstruction of the male gender and thus touch on the undercurrents accruing from changing masculine identities in South Africa. In retrospect, the empirical research conducted interrogated renegotiated male identities i.e. from authoritative, breadwinner, man-of the- house etc. to scholar, nurturer, liberal etc. It looked at the transformation of masculinities within the gender discourse and asked if given the foregoing, whether men are indeed reconstructing their gendered identities in contemporary times. Analysis of perspectives concerning interpretations given to contemporary perceptions of masculinities was gleaned from a fraction of male students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) , Howard College campus. These students had undertaken an introductory gender studies module course at the campus. Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with the participants of this study. Some findings from the study indicate that urbanisation and formal education play a role in mapping out new gendered identities among the young men interviewed. A cosmopolitan and urban environment may be contributing to novel ways that young men are enacting their masculinity. Several participants talked of emergent cliques and labelling that was a contributory factor to behaviour change as well as peer pressure. Nevertheless, for a number of them, cultural or traditional constructs still had some pull though some participants gave indications of interrogating which traditions to follow even though they still highly valued their cultures. Recommendations gleaned from this study were therefore juxtaposed against the need to establish a: more egalitarian environment in the hope of achieving gender equity. Due to the level of interrogation the participants showed in relation to their gendered identities, there is a need to pro-actively and continuously engage men in various gender equity programmes. As these young men's identities are in a constant state of flux, there was also a need to continuously interrogate what changes men are undergoing and what specifically propels them to behave in certain ways. Other than paying attention to how urbanisation and formal education impacts young men in a contemporary sense, it is also recommended that attention be paid to how older male role models impact on young men's identity formation. Key words: Masculinities, Gender identities, Contemporary identities, Social constructIonism / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

This research explored the perceived impact of socio-cultural messages and practices around puberty, on constructions of masculinity and sexuality among Xhosa male university students aged between 18 and 24 years. This research explored how Xhosa men construct their masculinities and sexuality through identifying the key experiences and messages about manhood that they receive in puberty and by analyzing how their pubertal experiences and socio-cultural messages before and after circumcision influence the way they construct their masculinities. An understanding of how masculinities are constructed may be used to inform interventions around HIV prevention and help to understand what factors predisposes these males to high HIV related risk behaviours. This study used a qualitative research design. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, and analyzed with reference to Parker’s approach to discourse analysis (Parker, 1992). The results show that socio-cultural inform how manhood is negotiated. The possibility of using traditional practices in fighting against HIV/AIDS is explored. “Xhosa see the initiation- rite as a symbolic death, through pain and isolation from the community or society. This death brings forth new life and rebirth as a new being: a man who has outgrown everything related to his childhood. The new person is incorporated into society as a new responsible member contributing to its values and existence. After this process a person is expected to think and behave in a changed and constructive manner showing a transition from when he was a boy and all acts of antisocial acts were tolerated from him.”(Mayatula & Mavundla, 1997:p18). / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology), 2018 / The current research arose from a particular interest in the ways in which different subgroups of men form and navigate their male identities and their masculinities. The decision to focus on the experiences of men living with oculocutaneous albinism stemmed from two inter-related premises: firstly, there is a dearth of research around this particular minority group; and secondly, there has been a call for the life experiences of this particular population to receive greater attention and understanding. Four participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The transcribed data gathered from these interviews was subject to a computer-aided thematic analysis. The findings of the current research suggest that the experiences of being stigmatized due to oculocutaneous albinism were highly injurious to the participants and lead them to internalize a strong sense of shame. This in turn affected the ways in which the participants experienced themselves in the world and interacted with others relationally, including in relation to friendships and more intimate partnerships. All of the participants feared that their albinism would make them less desirable to prospective life partners and were concerned that close others might be stigmatized by association with them. Their experiences appeared to influence the participants’ positioning of themselves in relation to other men and were also implicated in the complex nature of their racial identity. Participants demonstrated a capacity to be reflective about their life experiences and about the responses of others towards them in respect of their condition. / XL2018

This study examines the relationship between hegemonic masculinity and drunken driving behaviour among male students. Hegemonic masculinity is the most dominant form of masculinity and can be described as an ideological model of what is considered to be a 'real man' (Kimmel 2000:11). According to Wetherall (1996:323) hegemonic masculinity is essentially 'robocop'; tough, assertive, aggressive, all- conquering, cool and big. This research hypothesised that men who drink and drive are much more likely to display characteristics of hegemonic masculinity. Excessive drinking has always been synonymous with student culture and this research focuses on alcohol being viewed as a rite of passage for young male students into adulthood. Socialisation theories are used to explain how patterns of alcohol consumption among individuals are related to the socio-cultural context in which they live. These theories also explain how the ideals of hegemonic masculinity are acquired through the reproduction of norms, values and beliefs in a society or group of people. Thus this research project focuses on how alcohol consumption is considered part of the 'male domain' and due to this, men feel great pressure to drink in order to maintain their masculine identity. The research involved male students at the University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg. Quantitative methods were used in the form of a survey questionnaire. The survey provided statistical information about the incidence of drunken driving relating to masculinity discourse. The sample consisted of male student drivers who drank alcohol. Overall the sample consisted of young adult males with 215 male students participating in the survey with an average age of 22 years. The survey data was statistically analysed using a computer programme known as the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The data was divided into two groups, namely, the responses of sober male drivers and the responses of drunk male drivers. The sober drivers served as the control group while the drunk drivers served as the experimental group. The responses from these two groups were used to conduct independent samples t-tests and chi-square tests in order to assess which group displayed more attributes of hegemonic masculinity and whether or not there was a difference. Student responses from the open-ended questions were included as direct quotes to highlight the findings in the related closed questions. The findings reveal that the male students who drink and drive were more likely to display characteristics of hegemonic masculinity than the sober male drivers. These characteristics included: risk-taking, recklessness, strength, control and independence. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

Research on masculinity has become an area of increasing interest internationally and in South Africa. Research in South Africa focussing on masculinity and its impact on violence, sexuality and HIV/Aids has begun to escalate. Researchers and social scientists have come to the realisation of the need to investigate how men feel about being men in a society in which they have been dubbed sexist, violent and rapists. This thesis is an attempt to study the linkages between a culture-of-honour and violence. It does so by conceptualising culture as 'a set of affordances and constraints that channel the expression of coercive means of social control by self and others' (Bond, 2004, p. 62). By examining the subjective experiences of South African men in relation to concepts of masculinity and pride, it is hoped to determine whether honour norms generate hypersensitivity to insults and threats to the reputation of men which encourage men to respond with violence in order to reclaim or save 'face'. This aggression may be directed at other males as well as result in heightened tensions in heterosexual relationships that lead to violence (Cohen & Nisbett, 1994; Cohen & Vandello, 2003). A qualitative methodology was adopted for this investigation and semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight young men from comparable educational backgrounds and differing cultures. These interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The notion of honour in men's construction of masculinity was evident and reveals commonalities as well as difference in the salience of honour constructs. Future studies are proposed to explore in more detail the relationship between honour and masculinities as well as the role of women in perpetuating honour norms in society. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The field of masculinity research is an increasingly important area of concern for gender researchers. Contemporary masculinity studies have extensively explored the construction of masculine identities and the range of social processes that generate them. However, these studies have largely focused on non-disabled masculinity and as a consequence have overlooked the construction and subjective experience of disabled masculinity. This research is thus an attempt to address this gap by focusing on the construction and subjective experience of visually impaired adolescent boys. This study consisted of semi structured face to face interviews with visually impaired boys, which were fully transcribed and analysed using the integrated analytic approach of social constructionism and psycho-analysis. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This research project is based on the key assumption that in order to slow the rate of HIV infections amongst young men (and women) it iscrucial to direct interventions towards changing the constructions of masculinity which put adolescents at risk of HIV infection. As such, this study investigates the constructions of masculinity and masculine identity positions that are evident within the narratives of a small group of young black, white and coloured male university students. The research participants were engaged in a limited number of individual, semi-structured interviews. This report draws attention to the fmdings that have arisen from an analysis of the initial two interviews, the first of which revolved around photographs taken by the participants in order to illustrate what it means to be a young man in contemporary South Africa. An important finding is that there are numerous commonalities as well as differences in the constructions of masculinity that exist amongst these young men. A sense of uncertainty and ambivalence regarding the nature of masculinity is also common. Situated with an emphasised masculinity, various risk-taking behaviours, such as the consumption of alcohol in large quantities, visible affluence, a compulsory heterosexuality, and strength, in diverse forms, are identified as common constructions of masculinity. All of these young men define their sense of masculinity through the adoption of subject positions in relation to and in opposition to young women and other young men. The male peer group is a particularly significant site for masculine identity construction. A further key finding is that a number of these young men are able to reject one or more hegemonic norms of masculinity, yet are apparently able to maintain a sense of masculine acceptability. This finding has direct implications for the design of future research as well as of interventions around HIV/AIDS. As such, this thesis draws attention to the range of strategies utilised by these young men to maintain an adequate sense of masculinity in the face of non-conformance to particular hegemonic norms. Although these young men identify predominantly with the dominant, hegemonic norms of masculinity, there are multiple, often contradictory, subject positions that they occupy in relation to these norms and standards. As a result, this study raises questions for those involvedin similar research as well as for those designing interventions in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.