This study aimed to explore how gender is constructed, negotiated and enacted in the customary practice of lobolo. Lobolo, sometimes incorrectly referred to as bridewealth or dowry is a practice that centres around the transference of wealth from the groom or a groom’s family to the bride’s family towards the formalisation of marriage. Framed within an African-centred feminist approach I analyse, through narrative discursive analysis, how 27 men and women ages 27 -71, from Johannesburg and Cape Town account for gender and power dynamics in their narratives of participating in lobolo. The African-centred feminist approach I employ critically engages with historical as well as present-day reproductions of patriarchy, capitalism, heteronormativity and other mechanisms of exclusion that are perpetuated through the cultural practice of lobolo. I show how masculinities and femininities are constituted, negotiated and disputed in the narratives of men and women who have participated in lobolo. By employing an African-centered feminist approach I show how gendered dynamics within the practice are shaped by historical and contemporary social, political and economic factors which enable and constrain the exercise of power in various ways. By exploring lobolo through an African-centered feminist narrative approach I demonstrate how the process is more than simply a transference of wealth but rather a complex practice that is used as an apparatus to exercise and expand power in the different stages of the lobolo process. Within this African-centered feminist approach, I argue that lobolo functions to legitimise particular gender positions that can be adopted through marriage; but it can also be used to challenge and contest these roles. The findings of this study suggested that the different stages and process of lobolo reflect a gendered script, which determines the position that men and women are able to adopt, and that this script sets the parameters for the ways in which these roles may be enacted. I find also that the meanings and descriptions of lobolo are embedded within, and reproduce gendered identities but that these identities are not fixed but rather are constantly renegotiated. I conclude that lobolo is not only a custom for formalising marriages but also a tool used by men and women to perform a range of sometimes contradictory functions, including at times establishing and strengthening hegemonic masculinities and femininities but at other times challenging and dismantling these. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)

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)

The main aim of this study was to explore the extent of freedom or lack thereof in the relationships of HIV positive pregnant women and their partners. These women were attending antenatal care in two Soweto clinics, run by the Perinatal HIV Research Unit. A semi-structured interview schedule was developed and used as the data collection tool. A theoretical framework based on Amartya Sen's theory of Development as Freedom and Isabel Apawo Phiri's theological reflections on women's freedom, was used to analyze data collected from the participants of the study. The ideas of the two theorists complemented each other with regard to the sources of "unfreedom" for women from an economic point of view and from the cultural and religious points of view. Sen highlighted lack of basic freedoms and human rights as the core causes of lack of freedom, which is both a primary means and principal ends of development. Phiri advocated for the liberation of women from the oppressive cultural and religious practices brought about by patriarchy. Removal of all those key sources of unfreedom would provide an ideal situation in which women would be less vulnerable to HIV infection. The analysis of the participants' responses in this study suggested a lack of freedom in their relationships with the fathers of their unborn babies. This had an adverse effect in their ability to disclose their HIV positive status, negotiate safer sex and contraception. Economic dependency on the partners was found to be the major cornerstone that kept women in bondage in their relationships. The churches in Soweto did not seem to have any plausible impact in the lives of the participants and as a result all of them had very loose links with the church. This was another major gap in the initiatives to reduce HIV infection which challenges the churches in Soweto to strengthen their prophetic ministry in terms of women's freedom and their dignity both in the church and in society. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007

MGS / Institute for Gender and Youth Studies / Masculinity forms are identified as forms that perpetuate gender-based violence. This study analyzed and challenged the entire cultural and patriarchal attributes that constructively create current male roles and identities that play a significant part in gender discrimination and oppression around the world. The way masculinities shape gender role stereotypes have left a legacy whereby women are disadvantaged in relation to men. Masculinities continue to define power dynamics between men and women. Women have less access to resources, benefits, information and are also denied access to decision making processes, both within and beyond household realms. The major objective of the study is to explore the connection between masculinity and gender-based violence. This study described the importance of using Participatory Action Research Design and the use of qualitative methodological process which is followed by the study’s location and population, sampling and data collection methods. The researcher explains the reasons for using qualitative methods for both data collection and analysis. Face to face semi structured interviews was used as data collection instruments with open-ended questions. Purposive and snowball sampling were adopted with a total of 10 research participants including both women and men (young and old). Furthermore, this study explored the researcher’s reflexivity or positionality, and epistemic privilege. This study also outlined the ethical issues that have been taken into consideration which include informed consent, confidentiality, and privacy. Data was analyzed thematically by identifying and expanding significant themes that emerged from respondents’ responses. The findings of this study entail that unemployment and alcohol abuse are among the factors that lead to gender-based violence. The findings had it that cultural practices such as polygamy in families, initiation schools, media are among models of masculinities that had imparted the notion or belief that a man is a provider, decision-maker, and head of the family and no other member of the family should contest that responsibility. This study concludes that the cultural and social norms socialize males to be aggressive, powerful, unemotional and controlling and contribute to a social acceptance of men as dominant. Lastly, this study also looked at the limitations of the study as well as the conclusion. This study recommended that both men and women should collectively diagnose masculine relationships that are borne out of the system of patriarchy, to usher in a non- sexist society devoid of gender discrimination. / NRF

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. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

In many South African communities, socially constructed masculinity norms that promote unequal gender relations and high risk sexual behaviour are key contributing factors to HIV transmission. Following a qualitative approach, using in-depth interviews, this study engaged graduates of the Tavern Intervention Programme (TIP) in Gauteng to explore and describe their perceptions of traditional and modern masculinities, as well as their experience of the TIP. The findings indicated that, while there are differences between traditional and modern men, several masculinity practices, such as unequal gender relations, inconsistent use of condoms, infrequent accessing of HIV testing opportunities and entitlement to multiple partners endure as potential barriers to HIV prevention. Additionally, peer groups reinforce and reward HIV risk behaviour among modern men. Participants did, however, report changes in perceptions and behaviour regarding gender relations and HIV prevention as a result of their participation in the TIP. This study concluded that the role the TIP played in providing these men with an environment where alternative masculinity behaviour could be explored and supported was of particular value in terms of changes in their perceptions of masculinities, gender relations and HIV prevention. / Sociology / M. A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Livelihood stressors in southern Africa, such as HIV/Aids and climate change, do not act in isolation but rather interact concurrently in complex socio-ecological systems with diverse, interrelated and compounded affects. Households experience differential vulnerability to such stressors based on contextual factors such as geographical location, income level and the gender and age of its members. Households’ differential experiences of vulnerability are further defined by the households’ use of their capital stocks: the human, social, natural, financial and physical capital available to the household to form livelihoods and resist the detrimental effects of a stressor. The capital stocks of 340 households were measured in two sites in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, using a household survey. These data were analysed to determine differences between the sites, households with heads of different gender and households of different income levels. Further data relating to the drivers and interactions of stressors over temporal and spatial scales, as well as the perceived value of various forms of capital by different social groups in the two sites, were collected via Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) methods including timelines, mental modelling and pair-wise ranking. Although the two sites have similar levels of income and fall within the same province, many significant differences emerged. The two sites showed different distributions of household head genders and different stressors and perceptions of vulnerability, perhaps owing to differences in their capital stocks, acting alongside the influence of culture and access on a shifting rural-urban continuum. These discrepancies further transpired to reflect crucial differential experiences along gender lines and income levels in each site. Vulnerability was often context specific, not only because of unique drivers of stress in different areas, but also because socio-economic groups and localities often had characteristics that could potentially exacerbate vulnerability, as well as characteristics that can potentially facilitate adaptive capacity. Stressors were found to have depleted multiple forms of capital over time, while new stressors were emerging, raising concerns over the most appropriate means of social protection within these contexts.