Despite the increased focus on men in reproductive research, little is known about male involvement in the initial decision/s regarding parenthood (i.e., to become a parent or not) and the subsequent decision-making that may ensue (e.g., choices about timing or spacing of births). In particular, the parenthood decision-making of “White”, heterosexual men from the middle class has been understudied, as indicated in the existing literature. In South Africa, this oversight has been exacerbated by the tendency for researchers to concentrate on “problematic” men, to the exclusion of the “boring, normal case”. I argue that this silence in the literature is a result of the taken for granted nature of parenthood in the “normal” heterosexual life course. In this study, I have turned the spotlight onto the norm of “Whiteness” and heterosexuality by studying those who have previously been overlooked by researchers. I focus on “White” Afrikaans men’s involvement in parenthood decision-making. My aim was to explore how constructions of gender inform male involvement in decision-making, especially within the South African context where social transformation has challenged traditional conceptions of male selfhood giving rise to new and contested masculine identities and new discourses of manhood and fatherhood. In an effort to ensure that women’s voices are not marginalised in the research, as is often the case in studies of men and masculinity, I conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews about male involvement in decision-making with both “White” Afrikaans women and men. There were 23 participants in total, who all identified as heterosexual and middle-class. The participants were divided into two age cohorts (21 – 30 years and >40 years), which were then differentiated according to gender, reproductive status, and relationship status. Treating the interviews as jointly produced narratives, I analysed them by means of a performativity/performance lens. This dual analytic lens focuses on how particular narrative performances are simultaneously shaped by the interview setting and the broader discursive context. The lens was fashioned by synthesising Butler’s theory of performativity with Taylor’s narrative-discursive method. This synthesis (1) allows for Butler’s notion of “performativity” to be supplemented with that of “performance”; (2) provides a concrete analytical strategy in the form of positioning analysis; and (3) draws attention to both the micro politics of the interview conversation and the operation of power on the macro level, including the possibility of making “gender trouble”. The findings of the study suggest that the participants experienced difficulty narrating about male involvement in parenthood decision-making, owing to the taken for granted nature of parenthood for heterosexual adults. This was evident in participants’ sidelining of issues of “deciding” and “planning” and their alternate construal of childbearing as a non-choice, which, significantly served to bolster hetero-patriarchal norms. A central rhetorical tool for accomplishing these purposes was found in the construction of the “sacralised” child. In discursively manoeuvring around the central problematic, the participants ultimately produced a “silence” in the data that repeats the one in the research literature.

This research examines men’s talk around abortion using critical discourse analysis. Current literature indicates a dearth of studies addressing the topic of men and abortion in various domains. An understanding of men’s relationship to abortion, however, is crucial to understanding abortion as a social phenomenon. This study utilises the work of Foucault around discourse and power, as well as Butler’s work on gender to create a theoretical framework to approach data. Data were collected in the form of interview groups made up of men, as well as newspaper articles and on-line forum discussions that featured men as the author. What emerged from theses texts was a ‘Familial Discourse’ which posits the nuclear, heterosexual family as a long term relationship between a mother and father, which forms the ideal site to raise children. Discourses that support the family are a discourse of ‘Equal Partnership’ which establishes the man and the woman as being in a heterosexual relationship where each partner is seen to have equal power, and a discourse of ‘Foetal Personhood’ which constructs the foetus as a child in need of a family. Related to the heterosexual matrix, the formation of a family unit comes to be constructed as ‘natural’. Abortion acts as a disruptor to these discourses. By disrupting the formation of the family unit, abortion negatively affects the individuals involved. A relationship where a formation of a family unit was disrupted cannot survive. If the female partner has an abortion without her partner, it is seen as disrupting the equal partnership between the man and the woman. Men in this case see themselves as ‘powerless’ compared to women. From this point a ‘New Man’ discourse emerges, where men position themselves as loving and responsible in the context of a nuclear, heterosexual family unit. Abortion disrupts ‘Foetal Personhood’ and is constructed as murder. In the case of rape the ‘Familial Discourse’ can be invoked either to justify abortion or resist abortion, based on whether or not a family unit can be formed. These discourses reproduce patriarchy.

Previously understood as a fixed and universal set of behaviours social constructionists are now arguing that masculinity is contextual and fluid, reflecting a multiplicity of different understandings. Within any 'cultural environment' the discourse of masculinity, culturally and historically bound, expresses attitudes and behaviours that shape the understanding of what it means to be a man. Adopting a narrative approach and analysis this research explores the stories of six Zulu men in seeking to elicit the aspects of their masculinity and show how these men negotiate an identity 'position' from the social narratives available to them. It was found that while the ideal Adult (responsible) man contrasts with the Young man's ('isoka' ) position there is a consistently hegemonic and patriarchal notion of masculinity.

Thesis in Afrikaans with summaries in Afrikaans and English. / Sosiale diskoerse kan moontlik 'n bepalende invloed op 'n individu se manier van lewe he. Hierdie studie bring enersyds, deur van die narratiewe gespreksbenadering gebruik te maak, 'n aantal diskoerse na vore wat op vyf wit Afrikaanssprekende mans in die Ned Geref Gemeente Vereeniging-Oos se manier van lewe 'n invloed gehad het of nog het. Die diskoerse wat deur die studie navore gebring word is: (a) 'n man is as broodwinner die primere versorger in die gesin; (b) 'n man is doelgerig en op sukses gefokus; (c) 'n man is dominant en aggressief; (d) 'n man fokus nie op emosies en verhoudings nie en (e) 'n man verander nie maklik nie. Andersyds toon die studie ook dat mans ten spyte van die sosiale diskoerse wat moontlik 'n invloed op hul lewens kon he, self alternatiewe wyses van manwees kon ontwikkel en dus nie noodwendig dlenooreenkomstig die sosiale diskoerse hoef te leef nie. / Social discourses may have a decisive influence on an individual's way of life. By means of a narrative conversational approach, this study introduces a number of discourses that had or still have an influence on five white Afrikaans-speaking men in the Dutch Reformed Congregation Vereeniging-East. The discourses are: (a) a man is as breadwinner the primary provider for the family; (b) a man is goal~oriented and focused on success; (c) a man is dominant and aggressive; (d) a man does not value emotions and relationships and (e) a man does not change easily. On the other hand the study indicates that men are able to develop alternative ways of being men in spite of social discourses influencing them. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

A Research Report submitted in partial fulfilment of a Master of Arts in Industrial Sociology by coursework and Research Report. Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand. 15 March 2016 / The aim of this study is to understand the experiences of male nurses as they work in women-dominated workplace. The focus of other studies has been on: the ‘glass escalator’ and the hidden advantages for men in the so called ‘female’ professions; masculinity at work; the experiences of men in female dominated occupations and the experiences of men in caring professions. In South Africa, many studies on masculinity have been carried out that focus on the gender issues of southern Africa such as, causes and prevention of intimate partner violence; young men and the construction of masculinity, implications for HIV/AIDS, conflict, and violence; contemporary masculinities particularly the gendered cultural politics and hegemonic masculinities/masculinity in South African: culture, power and gender politics. But there is a dearth of literature on the issue of men in gender concentrated occupations, like nursing, in South Africa. This study seeks to fill the gap in understanding of how South African men experience their masculine gender identity in the context of engaging in work which is supposedly feminine by employing a qualitative, semi-structured interview approach of 15 male nurses of a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. This study argues that male nurses tend to portray hegemonic masculinity as their gender identity is simultaneously being configured, misconfigured and reconfigured in the workplace. / MT2017

Thesis (M.A.) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / As the topic states, the research is about the abuse of men in the society (Northern Sotho society in particular). Men, like women and children, are also abused, but unlike in the case of women and children, this abuse is not taken seriously. In most of the cases, this abuse is not reported. It is the aim of this study to scrutinize man abuse as depicted in the following Northern Sotho novels: Nonyana ya tokologo (Kekana, 1985), Ke nako ya ka (Molefe, 2001) and Ngwana Magana go botšwa (Motloutsi, 2004).

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 article examines the talk of male Psychology students about women and heterosexual relationships in all-male discussion groups. Four vignettes depicting difficult situations in heterosexual relationships were used to initiate discussion. Eight men attending a historically black university participated in the group discussions, which were facilitated by a male postgraduate Psychology student. The study explored masculine identity construction by identifying interpretive repertoires deployed by respondents to construct and account for themselves and their social worlds, within the context of discussions about relationships with women. Three interpretive repertoires of masculinity: the male-as- breadwinner/provider, male-as-protector and the "New Man" repertoire were identified. The complex and contradictory nature of masculine identity construction is highlighted. Drawing on the work of Hollway (1984), two discourses of heterosexuality were also identified: the have/hold discourse and the permissive discourse. The invocation of the "New Man" repertoire and pro-feminist discourses of heterosexuality in the men's talk may signify a move towards more enlightened and less oppressive constructions of masculinity, heterosexuality and gender.