This study examines the arrival and settlement of a sample of South Asian Muslim male migrants who are salon owners and salon employees in Durban, South Africa. The increasing visibility of the expansion of Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi migrant communities in Durban led to an interest in focusing on those issues which constitute the core of this research, namely: why they migrate, who migrates, how they migrate and arrive here, as well as settle into the work that they do. The broader purpose of this research was to investigate their living arrangements and social dynamics of their working and domestic lives. It also explores the challenges and opportunities that migrants encounter from the time they decide to leave home up until arrival in the country of resettlement and the way in which transnational social ties assist in helping them transcend such obstacles and reap the benefits of available prospects. Central to this project was also the adoption of salon work as a livelihood strategy as well as issues of integration, identity construction and the perceptions of foreign migrants and their enterprises from the view of local salon owners and local customers of foreign owned salons. It shows how migrants remain who they are and how the host society becomes a terrain in which their normative social practices are recreated and enjoyed. The study is anthropological in nature and therefore aims to capture the complexities of the migrant experience from the individuals' perspectives through the use of case studies. As part of the qualitative approach, observations of foreign owned enterprises were conducted, random sampling was used to select participants, and semi-structured interviews made it possible to acquire data. The exploratory goal of the study aims to illustrate that migrants are individuals who leave home with the hope of transforming their dreams and ambitions into a brighter prosperous reality not only for themselves, but more importantly their families too. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Whereas there has been much interest amongst anthropologists in the West in studying diseases such as Type II Diabetes Mellitus, there appears to be a paucity of local anthropological studies that analyse the social and cultural dimensions of this disease. In this country, according to the South African Diabetes Association, this disease is most prevalent in the South African Indian population. This study focuses on the South African Indian community in the suburb of Reservoir Hills, Durban, and examines socio-cultural issues around diabetes. Previous research conducted overseas has demonstrated a strong link: between rapid socio-economic changes that affect diet and lifestyle, and increases in the incidence of this disease among particular communities. This dissertation represents an attempt to: 1. Document salient features of the lifestyle, food beliefs and habits of the Indian population. 2. Discuss significant changes in lifestyle and diet that may have contributed to the rise of this disease among the Indian population. 3. Through an analysis of common discourse, analyse and record the thoughts and feelings of research participants regarding the disease and the manner in which they cope with diabetes. Case studies are used to support the author's arguments and an attempt is made to use the research findings to identify ways for community members to better cope with the disease. A number of suggestions and recommendations from medical experts with an interest in diet and lifestyle on prevention and management of diabetes are included in the study. The author argues that a few relatively simple lifestyle/diet changes may have the effect of lowering the high incidence of diabetes in the South African Indian population. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of ‘home food’ in the lives of Sierra Leoneans living in Durban who are members of the Sierra Leonean Association. Another aim was to find out if communal sharing of ‘home food’ in social networks assisted migrants in maintaining their home identity. To collect thick descriptive narratives from the twenty six members of the Sierra Leonean Association, this qualitative study used semi-structured, open-ended interview questions, participation observation and focus groups. The preliminary results of this study showed that for this group of migrants, ‘home food’ such as cassava leaves, egusi and okra play a significant role in mentally transporting these migrants vicariously back to their home country. Narratives showed that ‘home food’ acts as an ‘agent’ for maintaining home identity for Sierra Leonean migrants. The atmosphere in which ‘home food’ was eaten was said to have contributed to minimizing their longing for home as through food-related routines migrants brought’ home’ to their current living places. The conclusion can also be drawn that ‘home food’ plays a crucial role in preserving identity for Sierra Leoneans. It is one of the means by which culture can be maintained even when migrants are very far from home. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The theme of this dissertation is reflected in its title and was written to capture this particular historical juncture in post-apartheid South Africa. It was inspired by a variety of factors, including the harsh historical experiences of the Indian population since their arrival as indentured labourers in 1860, the current reassertion of ethnic identities and widespread ethnically based conflicts throughout the world, and the minority rights campaign that is gaining momentum in Europe. The significance of the last point is that West European countries generally enjoy the status as trendsetters on social policy issues, and the rest of the developing world often tends to follow suit. In this respect, this dissertation attempts to illustrate how the views of the Indian minority on transformation, in between the 1994 and 1999 democratic general elections, have been influenced and shaped. Their experiences were important in ascertaining their perceptions and responses to transformation. Research was carried out in the Greater Durban Area across class boundaries, covering suburbs such as Reservoir Hills, Clare Estate, Asherville, Overport, Phoenix and Chatsworth. The outcome of this effort is contained in 229 pages consisting of ten chapters. It is viewed in the context of the circumstances that prevailed just before the county's first democratic general election of 27 April 1994, up to the period of the next general election of 2 June 1999. Of central concern here were the dynamics surrounding the inevitable transfer of power from the White minority to representatives of the Black majority, and how the smallest ethnic minority i.e. the people of Indian origin, were reacting to this process. Research was carried out on the issues about which respondents felt very strongly. These translated into chapters on the history of violence against Indians in South Africa, the widespread impoverishment that is overshadowed by the visibility of the Indian middle and upper classes, their perceptions of informal settlements, Indian priviledge versus African empowerment in the public transport sector in Durban, finding new schools, and emigration - viewed as a solution to some and a dream to others. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2000.

This dissertation is an examination of salient factors that influence the health seeking behaviour of mothers/caregivers of pre-school children in Kwangwanase, KwaZuluNatal province, South Africa. Health seeking behaviour for pre-school children is poorly understood, and is influenced by an array of complex factors that inhibit full utilisation of available health services. Amongst other things, health-seeking behaviour is influenced by cultural beliefs about children's illnesses as well as the local availability of treatment options, and the perceived quality of care provided. This dissertation represents the findings of a combined qualitative and quantitative research approach using free listing, pile sorts, interview schedules, logbooks and observation to explore health-seeking behaviour. Research focussed on the local knowledge held in relation to childhood illnesses that affect children under age six, along with the explanatory models used to discern causation and shape decisions regarding treatment and care. Mothers and caregivers of Kwangwanase draw upon their existing knowledge of children's illnesses, including notions of disease causation, when making diagnoses and deciding between home treatments and professional consultation. Mothers and caregivers pay close attention to the well being of small children. They are constantly involved in the routine management of health and illness. Various treatment options are utilised in a pragmatic way, as mothers and caregivers pick and choose from all available health resources as and when they see fit. Cultural beliefs, accessibility, religious views and other factors influence their choice of health service. Depending on the quality of the care provided and the outcome of the therapeutic intervention, mothers and caregivers are likely to consult several different health care providers in a sequential manner. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.