This dissertation explores the subject of gender inequalities as reflected in Zulu proverbs. The most notable examples are those proverbs that comment on the role and position of Zulu men in society, on women's behaviour, on marriage and on the morality of the Zulu society. The dissertation explores how language is used in the proverbs to help shape the behaviour of women, from childhood up till the time they assume the responsibilities belonging to omakoti (brides). This study was undertaken in order to gain greater insight and understanding into why Zulu women are expected to play a submissive role in their society, unlike their dominant male partners. The study provides a case study of Zulu proverbs so as to gain an in-depth understanding of how patriarchy is reflected through language, and how proverbs help to construct the woman's identity in Zulu society. Through the use of research participants, the dissertation concludes that Zulu proverbs about women are associated with ukuhlonipha, a custom where omakoti, once married, adopt new names for items they use on daily basis because they reflect the names or syllables of in-laws. This study adopts a qualitative research methodology. Primary data was collected through interviews and several books on proverbs, whilst secondary data was collected from a wide selection of books, theses, dissertations and journal articles. Interviews which were carefully conducted with nineteen females (thirteen females between the ages of 16 and 35, and six females over the age of 35) and fourteen males (eight males between the ages of 16 and 35, and six males over the age of 35), all who are from KwaZulu-Natal. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Polygyny has been defended by some men in terms of ‘tradition and culture’ but a cursory observation suggests that it is currently being embraced even amongst women. It seems that some women are willing to allow a husband to take a second wife and even in arranged marriages some women seem content to enter into a polygynous union because they will be answering the call of duty. This study seeks to explore why even some middle-class educated women enter polygynous marriages. The study is different than the previous studies conducted because it focused on women who were educated and had employment that made them financially independent. Previous studies focused on poor rural women who had no better option but to marry into polygynous marriages for a better life because in the past it was only wealthy men who could afford to support more than one family and unfortunately that is not the case in today’s society, now it is just any man who wants to ‘elevate his manhood’ by having more than one wife but who he cannot support. The findings showed women entered such unions for numerous reasons such as love, family and societal pressures as well as desperation to have a higher social standing in the community than a single woman. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Psychiatric morbidity in the postpartum period has been a subject of research for years that has been plagued by much controversy. Most of the studies have come from Western countries. Studies that were done in Africa have concentrated on psychotic disorders in in-patients. A pilot study done by Cheetham et al (1981) at King Edward VIII Hospital found a high incidence of 'transient situational disturbances', which required further investigation. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To document the spectrum of psychiatric morbidity in an out-patient population of postpartum Zulu women; 2. To define predictive factors which would identify women 'at risk'; 3. To assess the feasibility of 'Western' screening instruments; 4. To investigate whether 'postpartum blues' occurs in Zulu women. RESEARCH DESIGN A prospective, descriptive study was undertaken. Sample Selection: 177 postpartum Zulu women attending the ' Well-Baby' Clinic at King Edward VIII Hospital were randomly selected for inclusion in the study. Methodology: Three questionnaires: The General Health Questionnaire- 30, Pitt's Questionnaire of Anxiety and Depression and The Kennerley Blues Questionnaire were administered to the subjects. A Structured Clinical Interview DSM-III (SCID) was conducted in those women with symptoms. FINDINGS: 1. The majority of the sample were between the ages of 20 and 30 years, unmarried, with a Senior Primary education and a baby of 20 weeks. 2. 45.76% of the sample had a psychiatric diagnosis, with 18.07% having major depression. Other disorders included: adjustment disorders, schizophrenia and dysthymia. 3. Significant variables using Chi-square analysis were: inadequate antenatal care, a negative response from the partner and the absence of cultural rituals. No association was found with demographic and obstetric variables. 4. T-test analysis showed a correlation between the questionnaires and the SCID. 5. 37.3% had experienced 'postpartum blues'. CONCLUSIONS: 1. The spectrum of psychiatric morbidity is affective in nature and similar to other studies. 2. 'Postpartum blues' does occur in Zulu women. 3. Antenatal screening with 'Western' instruments could reduce psychiatric morbidity. 4. The nomenclature of puerperal disorders is inadequate and needs review. 5. More prospective, community-based research is needed, especially in rural Zulu women. / Thesis (M.Med.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1992.

This study investigates the content of izigiyo (specified personified solo dance songs) texts that Zulu women perform at social occasions in KwaQwabe, a rural area near KwaDukuza (Stanger) in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Though this study focuses on izigiyo, the KwaQwabe have different oral performances that are performed at specific social occasions. In the KwaQwabe area there lives people who practise subsistence farming. The common crops that they (especially women) grow are maize, beans, groundnuts and imifino (herbs). The cattle and goats that the KwaQwabe men keep are mostly slaughtered for the amadlozi rituals. The study proposes that izigiyo as oral texts are largely responses to issues of heritage, culture, women abuse and domestic violence that lead to pent-up emotions, envy, witchery, gossip, and malpractices that can destroy a community-oriented life-style (Turner, 1998) that features in most African communities. The study hypothesises that Zulu women of KwaQwabe need to be treated with dignity and inhlonipho (respect) within the parameters of the Zulu tradition (Msimang, 1975). The study explores issues surrounding the izigiyo performance in order to establish whether Zulu women have always been silent (Bukenya, 2001) when it comes to issues that affect their lives, pertaining to issues that impinge negatively on their lives (Gunner and Gwala, 1991). The intended receivers of the messages (Ndoleriire, 2000) are always implied in the izigiyo texts and aim at serving as social regulators (Gumede, 2000). The language of izigiyo is in most cases metaphorical so as to avoid confrontation. In the midst of the izigiyo expression men and women relay their perceptions, experiences, and feelings about the way of life in their families and communities at large. This study, however, limits itself to the izigiyo texts that are enacted by Zulu women and does not include men’s. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Lolu cwaningo lugxile ekubalulekeni kwemvunulo yomdabu osikompilweni lwabantu besifazane abangamaZulu basendaweni yakwaNobamba. Imvunulo yomdabu ayembathelwa ukwemboza umzimba kuphela, kodwa ngokwesiko, ihlukanisa abesifazane ngokobuzwe nangokwezigaba zokukhula. Ingane engakathombi ayivunuli njengomuntu osethombile okungaba itshitshi noma iqhikiza. Ongakagcagci akavunuli njengosegcagcile yena obonakala ngokufaka isicholo nangokubhinca isidwaba ukuhlonipha umyeni wakhe nabasemzini (Msimang, 1975: 173). Ipharadaymu eqondayo yiyona eyasetshenziswa kulolu cwaningo. UMazibuko (2008: 68) uthi ngokwepharadaymu eqondayo lokho okucwaningwayo kwisayensi yenhlalo kufanele kube nokuxhumana, okucwaningwayo kumele kube nencazelo futhi kuhlukaniseke kulokho okubonwayo. Lokho okucwaningwayo kumele kube ngokuthintene nomuntu. Kulolu cwaningo kwacwaningwa ngemvunulo yomdabu eyembathwa ngabantu kanye nokubaluleka kwayo. Kwasetshenziswa indlela yokuxoxisana kanye nendlela yokuqaphelisisa ukuze kutholakale ulwazi olwabe ludingeka. Injulalwazi ye-Oral Style kanye neyeSocial Identity yizona ezasetshenziswa kulolu cwaningo. Injulalwazi ye-Oral Style iveza ukubaluleka kobuciko bomlomo, ngakho-ke ilufanele lolu cwaningo lapho kubonakala abesifazane bevunule ngemvunulo abayazi ngokudluliselwa yona ngomlomo kusuka kokhokho babo. Injulalwazi iSocial Identity nalo ilufanele lolu cwaningo lapho owesifazane ngemvunulo yakhe ekwazi ukuhlukaniseka ngokobulili, ngokobuzwe nangokwesigaba sokukhula. Isidingo esikhulu salolu cwaningo ukuthola imbangela eyenza ukuba abesifazane bezigodi zakwaNobamba ezaziwa ngokuthi kuseMsobotsheni, eKucasheni, kwaNhliwe naseMgwamama, belokhu besalugcinile lolu siko lokuvunula. Akulula kubona ukwehlukana naleli siko ngoba bazalelwe emphakathini owembatha le mvunulo. Bakholelwa ekutheni amadlozi abo ahlala emvunulweni, ngakho-ke ukuhlukana nayo kungasho ukulahla amadlozi okuyiwona abavikelayo. Abesifazane bayahlangana bafundisane ukwakha ubuhlalu, obuyingxenye yemvunulo. Leli khono lidluliselwa ngisho ezinganeni zabo zamantombazane ukuze zikhule zikwazi ukuzenzela imvunulo. Ukuhlangana kwabesifazane bakha imvunulo, kudala umoya wokuzwana nokuchitha isizungu besele bodwa amasoka nabayeni besemsebenzini emadolobheni amakhulu njengaseGoli. Ukuguquka kwezikhathi kudala ukuba nemvunulo yomdabu iguquke ibe nomthelela wesilungu. Izinga lokwembathwa kwemvunulo yomdabu alisafani nakuqala ngenxa yokuthi abanye besifazane bayasebenza kobelungu. Amatshitshi namaqhikiza ayaphoqeleka ukuba ekwembatheni kwawo angavezi amabele namathanga. Abesifazane asebegcagcile bembatha amaphinifa amboza sonke isidwaba singabonakali ngoba sizongcolisa. Izingane zamantombazane ezifunda isikole zigqoka umfaniswano wesikole uma zisesesikoleni; seziyobuyela emvunulweni yazo lapho sekuphume isikole sezisemakhaya. Abesifazane bakwaNobamba basalugcina lolu siko lokuvunula ngokuvunula uma kukhona imicimbi efana nehlamvu, (ukuhalalisela ukubuya kwamasoka nabayeni bevela emadolobheni amakhulu njengaseGoli), umholo wezalukazi nomchanguzo. Bayavunula futhi ngokugcwele emicimbini esuke ihlelwe nguMasipala lapho bejabulisa umphakathi njengeqembu lesigekle nengoma. Othisha bayazigqugquzela izingane zesikole ukuba zembathe imvunulo yomdabu uma kunemikhosi egujwayo. Uma owesifazane efisa ukusho okuthile emphakathini, kubo lapho ezalwa khona, kumnakwabo, nasesokeni noma kumyeni, akakukhiphi ngomlomo wakhe kepha kudluliswa yimvunulo ayembethe. Okutholakele kulolu cwaningo ukuthi abantu besifazane bakwaNobamba bayazigqaja ngale mvunulo yabo ephinde ikhuthaze amantombazane ukuba ahlale egcine ubuntombi bawo kuze kufike isikhathi sokugcagca. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Submitted to the Facu1ty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Zululand, 1982. / Old age is a neglected area of anthropological research despite the widespread interest in the human life cycle that has characterized much work within the discipline.- With the notable exception of the early pioneering work of Simmons, the anthropological literature on old age in preliterate cultures is sparse, with little attention having been devoted either to the collection of ethnographic data or to the formulation of gerontological theory. As Clerk observes: 'If one is to judge from typical anthropological accounts, the span of years between the achievement of adult status and one's funerary rites is either an ethnographic vacuum or a vast monotonous plateau of invariable behavior. Maxwell & Silverman hold the same opinion: 'Anthropologists have not, on the whole, shown much interest in ageing. With few exceptions, ethnographic reports seem to mention the. aged only in passing, if at all, and then only in the context of quite general statements. One of the reasons to which they attribute this neglect is the distaste with which old age is viewed in our culture. The aged tend to suffer from physical or mental disabilities which are unpleasant to contemplate; death is imminent; and the role of the aged in culture is ostensibly less distinctive than that of younger men and women.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of African Languages at the University of Zululand, 2005. / The commoditization of Zulu culture has become commonplace in the tourism industry in South Africa. Zulu culture and cultural products like music; dance, crafts, landscapes and others are often packaged and consumed in the tourism attractions in Zululand and elsewhere. This thesis examines culture and gender issues related to the commoditization process of Zulu culture and cultural products. Focusing on specific case studies in selected tourist attractions in Zululand, the thesis concludes that rural Zulu women play minor roles as dancers, crafters, cooks, and waiters in the tourist attractions in Zululand. Their junior roles make them to play no role in decision making, neither do they own any assets in their work places, and may not, therefore, influence the commoditization and product authentication process of their own culture.

This study titled: “Mourning Cultural Practice Amongst the Zulu Speaking Widows of the KwaNyuswa Community: A Feminist Perspective” explored how mourning cultural practices contribute towards gender discrimination which results to women oppression. The main aim of this study was to document how cultural practices impact negatively to women. It focused on challenges and consequences that the Zulu speaking widows particularly in the rural areas experience during their mourning period. Within feminism as an umbrella theory underpinning this study, radical approach was employed to address the issue to be investigated since it considers patriarchal practices as a primary cause of women’s oppression (Wills and Ellen, 1994:117). This approach enabled the study to extract the gender imbalances inherent in cultural practices, and to expose widow’s experiences, why they experience what they are experiencing and how do they perceive their experiences. This study employed a qualitative research approach embracing the interpretive paradigm and sought to obtain a rich and deep interpretation of participant’s responses on the topic investigated. A combination of three qualitative data collection methods were used, these were: face to face interviews, focus groups discussion and participant observation. Thirty participants were randomly selected from five districts of KwaNyuswa and that include: key informants, women and men, widows and widowers and these were regarded as people who are knowledgeable and have an experience with the phenomenon studied. Thematic data analysis was used in this study through which four themes were emerged. These themes were derived from participant’s perceptions and experiences which made it possible to meet the research objectives. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of people at KwaNyuswa consider mourning cultural practice as an integral part of their lives irrespective of its constraints or challenges it might have to the people involved. It was clear from this study that the people of this community are very much conservative and stereotyped and they do not consider anything of gender transformation or gender equality. Recommendations were made for social and gender transformation and for some means to improve the widow’s plight. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

The registered midwives are engaged in continuous health education lessons In antenatal visits, discouraging antenatal clients from using hannful traditional and cultural practices in an attempt to preserve pregnancy to tenn. Despite the registered midwives' efforts, the clients continue to use hannful cultural methods, which are life-threatening to both the mother and the foetus In utero. The prenatal clients perceive the registered midwives as not being sensitive to their culture. The results of this study revealed that health education in antenatal clinics should be collaborative: that is, the people who have influence over the clients' pregnancy, like me mother-in-law, the traditional practitioners, cUents and their family members, should be involved by the midwives during the preparation of pregnancy lessons and health education lessons on how to preserve pregnancy to term according to· scientifically proven methods. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)