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<p>The problem of abusive relationships has attracted national attention in South Africa. Historically South Africa has a strongly entrenched patriarchal system, which gives men proprietary rights over women. Traditional and cultural values as means of resolving conflict are critical in shaping and perpetuating violence of men toward women. A woman&rsquo / s social status is believed to be derived by her relative position to a man that is as daughter, wife, girlfriend or mother of his children. One solution to ending the abuse and leading violence free lives would be to leave the relationship. While this is a possible solution it should be noted that in order for women to leave it requires enormous restructuring of material, physical and social relations. A qualitative feminist research methodology was used with a convenience sample of 8 women who agreed to participate in the study. In depth interviews were conducted with the participants to explore the perceptions and experiences of Xhosa women in abusive relationships. The participants resided in Khayelitsha, Phillipi and Langa. The interviews lasted from 30 minutes to 45 minutes, were audio taped and transcribed. In view of the qualitative nature of the study, the researcher employed thematic analysis. Women mentioned their experiences of abuse and discussed their help seeking strategies. A number of themes that emerged from the study suggested clearly women&rsquo / s perceptions and experiences to remain in their abusive relationships. These themes relate to commitment, staying because of children, cultural beliefs (lobola), economic dependence and lack of social support. It also emerged from the discussions with women that the emotional and structural support that these women received from the NGO played a huge role. The most important finding from the study was that change occurred as a result of abuse.</p>

No description available.

<p>The problem of abusive relationships has attracted national attention in South Africa. Historically South Africa has a strongly entrenched patriarchal system, which gives men proprietary rights over women. Traditional and cultural values as means of resolving conflict are critical in shaping and perpetuating violence of men toward women. A woman&rsquo / s social status is believed to be derived by her relative position to a man that is as daughter, wife, girlfriend or mother of his children. One solution to ending the abuse and leading violence free lives would be to leave the relationship. While this is a possible solution it should be noted that in order for women to leave it requires enormous restructuring of material, physical and social relations. A qualitative feminist research methodology was used with a convenience sample of 8 women who agreed to participate in the study. In depth interviews were conducted with the participants to explore the perceptions and experiences of Xhosa women in abusive relationships. The participants resided in Khayelitsha, Phillipi and Langa. The interviews lasted from 30 minutes to 45 minutes, were audio taped and transcribed. In view of the qualitative nature of the study, the researcher employed thematic analysis. Women mentioned their experiences of abuse and discussed their help seeking strategies. A number of themes that emerged from the study suggested clearly women&rsquo / s perceptions and experiences to remain in their abusive relationships. These themes relate to commitment, staying because of children, cultural beliefs (lobola), economic dependence and lack of social support. It also emerged from the discussions with women that the emotional and structural support that these women received from the NGO played a huge role. The most important finding from the study was that change occurred as a result of abuse.</p>

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / The problem of abusive relationships has attracted national attention in South Africa. Historically South Africa has a strongly entrenched patriarchal system, which gives men proprietary rights over women. Traditional and cultural values as means of resolving conflict are critical in shaping and perpetuating violence of men toward women. A woman&rsquo;s social status is believed to be derived by her relative position to a man that is as daughter, wife, girlfriend or mother of his children. One solution to ending the abuse and leading violence free lives would be to leave the relationship. While this is a possible solution it should be noted that in order for women to leave it requires enormous restructuring of material, physical and social relations. A qualitative feminist research methodology was used with a convenience sample of 8 women who agreed to participate in the study. In depth interviews were conducted with the participants to explore the perceptions and experiences of Xhosa women in abusive relationships. The participants resided in Khayelitsha, Phillipi and Langa. The interviews lasted from 30 minutes to 45 minutes, were audio taped and transcribed. In view of the qualitative nature of the study, the researcher employed thematic analysis. Women mentioned their experiences of abuse and discussed their help seeking strategies. A number of themes that emerged from the study suggested clearly women&rsquo;s perceptions and experiences to remain in their abusive relationships. These themes relate to commitment, staying because of children, cultural beliefs (lobola), economic dependence and lack of social support. It also emerged from the discussions with women that the emotional and structural support that these women received from the NGO played a huge role. The most important finding from the study was that change occurred as a result of abuse. / South Africa

Doctor Theologiae - DTh / This study investigates the privileges and hermeneutical advantages enjoyed by a Phalo Phalo1 interpreter of practices in t he biblical text that are similar to or the same as those found in Phalo’s patriarchal culture. The study therefore probes the extent to which the Phalo interpreter could take advantage of these presumed similarities and sameness, the legitimacy and validi ty of claims of patriarchal bias attributed to the Phalo interpreter, and the extent to which such claims should be taken seriously by the house of Phalo. If the similarities place the Phalo interpreter in a position of advantage when dealing with the text , then, the interpreter should know where to draw the line between the similarities in the patriarchal practices of the two houses. Otherwise, a serious interpretative or hermeneutical crisis could ensue. The study argues that the advantages that the Phalo interpreter brings to the table should not be open open-ended or without restrictions. Since the house of Phalo and Jacob are unrelated in any way, the similarities need to be considered with great caution. The aim of the comparison in the study is not to dete rmine which house is more patriarchal than the other, but to advance contextual hermeneutics. We compare the various fragments of both works in order to ascertain the existence and direction of literary dependence , if any, between these fragments. In both houses, patriarchy and family stand at the centre of culture and religion. Therefore, the concepts of patriarchy in the two houses are crucial to this study. Both families operate under the assumption that the concept of family is strictly valued and that patriarchy is the essence of life and the basis for legal, religious and social construction. In the history of family practices in both the ancient house of Jacob and the house of Phalo, patriarchal laws were regarded as pillars of religion and culture. T he two houses operated a patriarchal system in which family decisions must have the endorsement of the father or the male family head, these being identified through the male bloodline. Thus, the image of religion, culture and the power and authority of th e society are fully patriarchal in both houses.

This research analyzes the reproduction of patriarchal ideological hegemony in the soap opera Another World using Stuart Hall's theory of the mass media and his conceptualization of ideology. A structural analysis of five one hour video-taped episodes of Another world reveals how the soap opera text constructs meaning fulfilling the three functions of the mass media, and thus, reproducing patriarchy's hegemony. This research confirms Hall's theory of the mass media and the propositions which flow from his conceptualization of ideology. Moreover, this research is the first attempt to systematically apply Hall's theory to the study of soap opera. It goes beyond .the generalizations of his theory to look at the particularities of soap opera which contribute to the reproduction of patriarchal ideological hegemony. However, it is seen that what is problematic to this research, and all research on soap opera, is a lack of a theory of the reader. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

The purpose of this thesis is to research the experience of men who feel degraded and traumatized by serving under the leadership of women, because of being brought up in a patriarchal environment. Culture seems to play an important part in helping these men to operate within this patriarchal structures. To revisit the negative concepts of African and Christian cultures regarding the leadership of women, and to positively look into equity law in the light of the Bible, which is supposed to be the road map (constitution) for Christians, and the democratic constitution of South Africa. The Bible reveals God as God who hates oppression and promotes liberty, justice, and fairness. Regarding prophecy, the prophet Joel says, “And ... I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh ... Your daughters shall prophesy ... and upon the servants.” (Joel 2: 28-32) Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Women should be at liberty to preach the Word of God inside and outside the church and also to take part in leadership roles. The government of South Africa is propagating affirmative action especially to those who were disadvantaged. Women are the ones who had been disadvantaged when coming to being in leadership positions in every aspect of life. The other factor is to encourage pastoral care givers and the church to jointly propagate equity and the emancipation of all those who are oppressed because of negative cultural concepts and upbringing. Finally it is to demolish all negative cultural aspects whether Christian or African and adapt to the equity law (Law of justice and fairness) irrespective of race, color or gender, for the health, peace and prosperity of our country, and our church. The Bible version that will be used through out the thesis will be the New International Version (NIV). / Dissertation (MA (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Dracula was written by Bram Stoker in 1897 but in this thesis I will discuss the different interpretations that can be achieved using reader response theory.  More specifically how gender affects these reader responses.  It is a detail analysis of how a feminine reader with a 21st century perspective can achieve different reactions to the text than that of the previous masculine and patriarchal readings that have been common in the past. This approach to Dracula has shown in more detail how the current representation of vampires in our culture has come to pass.  Dracula was one of the first vampire novels, but it was by no means the last, and the current fascination with vampires is a direct result of ‘reading’ them in a feminine way. It shows how in Dracula demons, victims and heroes, with a new perspective, become tragic, misunderstood and patriarchal oppressors. Also that it is through an integration with the text itself and reading in a feminine way that we are able to see them that way.

This thesis makes a significant contribution to the existing knowledge on 'unmarried mothers'. Much of the literature on 'unmarried mothers' has been written by white, male, middle-class professionals who assume that unwed mothers are happy to place their babies for adoption so that they can be free to pursue other interests, meet other men and make a new life. However, after interviewing many of the mothers who gave up their babies in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s in Australia, I found this was not the case. Many of the mothers had wanted to keep their babies but were forced to relinquish them by their families and the wider society who seemed more intent on upholding nuclear family values than making available the resources needed to keep natural mothers and their babies together. My argument throughout this thesis is that given a choice - a viable economic and socially supported choice - many of the unmarried mothers, typified by those whom I interviewed, would not have parted with their babies. Most mothers interviewed, and presumably many of those in the community at large, have experienced much pain and grief as a result of the separation - a grief which is profound and lasts forever. Using Marxist feminist theories of the state and post-structural theories, my thesis highlights the perceptions and memories of birthmothers about the birthing experience and adoption as experience, process and life consequence. I also argue that the removal of white, working-class babies from their mothers compares in some small way with the removal of the indigenous 'stolen children' in the same period. The removal of Aboriginal children from their homes and cultures has been referred to by some scholars and activists as a form of cultural genocide. While the removal of babies from white, working-class, unwed mothers was different in that it had few racial implications, I argue that the system in place at the time was patriarchal and class-based and as such left the young, unwed women with no options but adoption. The thesis makes a very important and socially significant contribution to our understanding of unmarried mothers in that it presents a largely unwritten history of women. Rich in the voices of unmarried mothers, there are important conceptual, empirical and practical policy implications flowing from the research findings.