No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1991.

This thesis is an analysis of a creative design HIV/AIDS communication programme named Siyazama (we are trying) that works in association with rural traditional beaded cloth doll makers from KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. As a reflective thesis it represents a hermeneutic opportunity to ascertain the extent to which an interdisciplinary programme of HIV/AIDS education and training impacted on the lives of the women involved and how their expert skills of craftswomen were employed to understand and address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. What began in 1996 on invitation from the African Art Centre in Durban as a simple intervention to upgrade craft techniques and craft construction developed of its own accord into a unique HIV/AIDS intervention in 1999. The communication mode in which the rural women were skilled - beadwork - was long used by women in KwaZulu-Natal as a mode of communication to circumvent the Zulu cultural taboo on discussion of matters of emotional and sexual intimacy called hlonipha. In the modern era of HIV/AIDS, this same mode has been revived and reworked as a means for affecting communication about the many sensitive and taboo issues that surround this disease. There is much scientific evidence which points to the fact that women in this part of the world are far more susceptible than men to HIV infection, largely due to their lower social status, their economic dependence on men and their need to manage the large-scale poverty that affects them and their families. All of this contributes to increasing their vulnerability to AIDS. Ethnographic analysis of the experience of HIV/AIDS amongst Zulu-speaking craftswomen in KwaZulu-Natal has also revealed the nature of the complex cultural belief system that is alive and articulated in the local art and AIDS interface. This thesis describes the myriad ways in which a particular group of rural women of KwaZulu-Natal, owing to certain customary prescriptions, appear as largely silenced on sexual and sensitive relationship issues. Yet, their expert abilities in beadwork have afforded these women the opportunity to express innermost concerns about the epidemic in three dimensional forms. The historical record of KwaZulu-Natal shows us how beadwork was often used traditionally by women to take the place of speaking. The Siyazama Project beadwork exhibit, comprising over 300 pieces of individual beaded artifacts and collected between 1999 and 2005, provides verification of the continued existence of this form of expression. It is an archive of the fields of inquiry which were covered in the Siyazama educational programme starting with 'breaking the silence on AIDS' in 1999 and ending with anti-retroviral therapies (ART) in 2005. The relationship between the beaded crafts and the AIDS educational information which was received during the course of the Siyazama AIDS educational programme is explained through an analysis of this beaded collection. As an in depth qualitative study of the experiences and impact of the HIV/AIDS intervention with women beadworkers from rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, this thesis represents an attempt to account for how a creative design HIV/AIDS communication programme has impacted on the lives of the women reached by the programme, and how their skills as craftswomen have been utilized to make sense of the local HIV/AIDS epidemic whilst raising awareness about AIDS in their communities. The overall aim of the study is to interpret the effect and effectiveness of beadwork craft as a visual metaphoric mode of expression, and to define the way the project sought to circumvent particular cultural taboos on the discussion of sexuality and other matters of personal intimacy. The study describes some of the common beliefs and attitudes that persisted at the time at which the project commenced and demonstrates how these have been 're-written and re-corded' in beadwork throughout the six-year duration of the intervention. My focus throughout is on assessing the value of this project through proposing the medium of beadwork as a contemporary and unique cultural archive that speaks to the complexities of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

South African women of different ethnicity and background, having lived under apartheid, are now challenged by the freedoms expressed in the Bill of Rights and the new Constitution. This study, identifying the connections between gender, race, class and social relations, incorporates an ethnographic methodology and a cultural studies perspective in the reception analysis of thirteen multicultural focus groups. In the analysis of their response to two locally produced situation comedies, Suburban Bliss and Going Up III, the effort to determine existing cultural barriers is made, examining laughter as a benchmark for the comprehension by women from different backgrounds. The theoretical framework for the research evaluates the extent to which the writers, producers and directors created a text which connects with the multicultural women viewers' reality. Changes affecting the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in terms of broadcasting policy, are traced, and a brief history of the organization since the inception of broadcasting in South Africa is incorporated. Language policy had ret1ected the overt political ideology of Afrikaner nationalism, consequently the political changes resulting from the 1994 democratic election led to major transformations in language and style of programming to incorporate local content for multicultural audiences. This caused economic hardship for the SABC, as advertising revenue was drastically curtailed. Textual analysis of both Suburban Bliss and Going Up III employed a mix of structural, semiotics, and ideological analysis. Through interviews with the production team it became apparent that SB was based on American sitcom genre, while GU III is a hybrid combination, conceived to meet the perceived needs of the local multilingual multicultural audience. The extent to which the programmes mediate the producer/audience relationship, contributing to the hegemonic process is investigated, as the interpretation of the text can be different in the decoding from that originally intended by the producer or encoder when creating the programme. The situation comedies by depicting in a humorous vein the realities of affirmative action, adult access to pornography, the aspirations of the new black elite, feminine participation in the democratic process, and the rejection of authoritarian censorship from the state or the home indicates the ideological position of the production teams. The responses of the focus groups were examined in terms of their own identity as well as where an historic individuality expands into the collective communities of nations, gender, classes, generations, race and ethnic groups. Identity was perceived as connected but distinct and separate, as any event can affect both individuals and society. The thesis explores the proposition that humour as 'cultural reconcilation' can be effective if people are prepared to alter negative patterns of thinking and social practices. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1998.

This research work is about rituals practice, with specific reference to burning of impepho (an indigenous African Plant) and how this practice excludes women in general. Impepho is an indigenous African plant that, once dried, is burnt in order to communicate with one’s ancestors. Impepho is well-known to the majority of Sub Saharan Africans as it is used to communicate with their ancestors and it is also used by traditional healers to communicate with the deceased. It is used in various ceremonies, as well as in traditional feasts, when chickens, goats or cows are offered to the ancestors. The aim of this study was to find out why women are not allowed to burn impepho. Times have changed to the point that there are now many Zulu households that are headed by women, and these women do in fact burn impepho in order to communicate with their ancestors. This then is the pertinent question: do these women’s requests or prayers go unheard by the ancestors? The study aims to find out from the female participants if they burn impepho in their home or if they still adhere to this male constructed mentality that women should not burn impepho. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Colonial Natal has become an increasingly popular field of investigation for historians of Southern Africa over the last decade or so. This trend is not premature or " irrelevant for, although not demonstrating" the economic impact of the diamond-mining industry of the Cape, or the gold-mining industry of the Transvaal, the political " economy of nineteenth century Natal played a significant role in forming patterns of South African social and economic development, as well as attitudes towards this, not least of all in terms of labour exploitation. The history of Natal during this period has been lacking by and large in what I consider to be two important aspects. Firstly, the colony, on the whole, has been neglected by Marxist and radical historians; and secondly, the history of women in South Africa, as yet a nascent area of research in itself, has not included an attempt to date, understand the lives of those women who lived along the south-east coastal belt of Southern Africa, between the Drakensberg and the Indian Ocean. This study strives to be a preliminary step in the direction of redressing this imbalance, by offering an introductory exposition on the political economy of women in colonial Natal. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1982.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 215-226).

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates whether black women in senior management positions with decision-making authority have had an impact on the newsrooms of the Cape Town newspapers Die Burger, the supplement Jip, community newspaper MetroBurger, the Cape Times, the Cape Argus, the Weekend Argus and the Southern Mail, one title of the Cape Community Newspapers. Labour legislation promulgated in South Africa in 1994 means companies have to employ human resources equitably in keeping with the racial demographics of each province. Given the historical background of the South African media and the fact that it is almost 10 years after the first democratic elections in this country, what new paths have black South African women journalists forged for new journalists? This study focuses on the role of black women with regard to decisionmaking at the aforementioned newspapers. During the course of this study, 5 of the 6 women respondents have resigned from their positions. Other findings are that the editors generally have limited knowledge of the responsibilities of the women in this study. The editors have also indicated that no changes have been made or will be made to the job descriptions of the women, while the women have indicated that there have, indeed, been changes to their job descriptions. These changes have related to editorial and non-editorial responsibilities. While no training plans have been set out specifically for the women respondents, most of them have indicated they wanted more training opportunities. Most of the women respondents have indicated higher remuneration and job satisfaction as being the main reasons for resigning. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie ondersoek die impak wat swart vroue in senior bestuursposisies met besluitnemingsgesag gehad het op die nuuskantore van die volgende Kaapse koerante: Die Burger, die Jip bylae, die MetroBurger gemeenskapskoerant, die Cape Times, die Cape Argus, die Weekend Argus en die Southern Mail, een titel in die Cape Community Newspapers-stal. Arbeidswetgewing wat in 1994 in Suid-Afrika gepromulgeer is, beteken maatskappye moet menslike hulpbronne in diens neem op 'n regverdige basis en in oorenstemming met die rasse-demografie van elke provinsie. Gegewe die historiese agtergrond van die Suid-Afrikaanse media en die feit dat dit bykans 10 jaar is ná die eerste demokratiese verkiesing, watter nuwe paaie het Suid-Afrikaanse vrouejoernaliste gebaan vir nuwe joernaliste? Die studie fokus op die rol van swart vroue met betrekking tot die besluitnemingsproses in die genoemde koerante. Gedurende die studie het vyf van die ses respondente bedank. Ander bevindinge is dat redakteurs in die algemeen 'n beperkte kennis het van die verantwoordelikhede van die vroue wat deelgeneem het aan die studie. Die redakteurs het ook aangedui dat geen veranderings gemaak is of gemaak gaan word aan die posbeskrywings van die vroue nie, terwyl die vroue aangedui het dat daar wel veranderings aan hul posbeskrywings gemaak is. Hierdie veranderings was verwant aan redaksionele en nie-redaksionele verantwoordelikhede. Terwyl geen opleiding spesifiek uitgewys is vir respondente in hierdie studie nie, het die meeste van hulle aangedui dat hulle meer opleidingsgeleenthede sou wou hê. Die meeste respondente het ook aangedui dat die hoofredes vir hul bedanking beter salarisse en werksbevredeging is.

Women's magazines are popular cultural forms which offer readers representations intended to advise women on how to work towards and achieve idealised femininities. They perform such a function within the wider socio-historical context of gender relations. In a country such as South Africa, where patriarchal gender relations have historically been structured to favour men over women and masculinity over femininity, the representation of femininity in contemporary women's magazines may serve to reinforce or challenge these existent unequal gender relations. Informed by a feminist poststructuralist understanding of the gendered positioning of subjects through discourse, this study is a textual analysis that investigates the subject positions or possible identities offered to readers of Destiny, a South African business and lifestyle women's magazine. Black women, who make up the majority of Destiny's readership, have historically been excluded from the formal economy. In light of such a background, Destiny offers black women readers, through its representations of well-known business women, possible identities to take up within the white male dominated field of business practice. The magazine also offers 'lifestyle content', which suggests to readers possible ways of being in other areas of social life. Through a method of critical discourse analysis, this study critically analyses the subject positions offered to readers of Destiny, in order to determine to what extent the magazine's representations of business women endorse or confront unequal gender relations. The findings of this study are that Destiny offers women complex subject positions which simultaneously challenge and reassert patriarchy. While offering readers positions from which to challenge race based gender discrimination – a legacy of the apartheid past – the texts analysed tend to neglect non-racially motivated gender prejudice. It is concluded that although not comprehensively challenging unequal gender relations, the magazine whittles away some tenets of patriarchy.

In June 1959 there were widespread riots and disturbances in the Durban African area of Cato Manor. The fundamental causes were socio-economic; arising from such factors as poor living conditions and widespread poverty. But it was the exhaustive beer-raids on illegal stills that provided a flashpoint. It was illegal for Africans to brew their own beer; instead they were obliged to purchase it from the municipal beer-halls - the money then being used for the development and administration of African facilities, (l) Amongst the inhabitants of Cato Manor and particularly amongst women who traditionally brewed the beer, this caused much dissatisfaction. However, discontent was prevented from reaching breaking -point by the police strategy of ignoring illegal brewing as long as amounts did not exceed more than k to 8 gallons, and also by only carrying out very perfunctory raids. (2) Another dimension was added to the beer-hall issue in the form of complaints by women that this was not the traditional way of doing things. They said that men should obtain beer from their women instead of frequenting the beer halls, and more importantly, by patronising the beer-halls, men were depriving their women of what little money they could have paid them. (3) In this complaint centering around the fact that an element of traditional life was being disrupted, is contained another issue of basic importance to the Natal riots in general. The policies of the government as implemented by the Durban Corporation in the case of Cato Manor meant the fragmentation of a traditional and still important social order. The economic function of the women of Cato Manor, and ass will be seen later, of most Natal women was being removed. In addition to basic deprivation it was this factor that can to a large extent be seen as the reason for the intensity and militancy of the women's attacks on the beer-halls and on Corporation property. Cato Manor was an area unique among the locations and townships of Durban. Its inhabitants had moved there in the years just after the war without any official sanction. Cato Manor was unplanned, and as a result of its spontaneous creation far less controlled and policed than any of the townships set up as a result of government planning. Because of this freedom Cato Manor was a haven for all those who were illegally in the urban areas, or whose livelihood contravened the multitude of rules and regulations governing the lives of Africans. Cato Manor's large population of shebeen queens owed its existence to this lack of control. (4) In 1958 there had been considerable discontent and unrest in Cato Manor over the attempt to implement shack-removal schemes, thereby clearing the slum and transferring much of its population to the new township of Kwa Mashu. At Kwa Mashu where rents were higher and which was also less centrally situated than Cato Manor, there was far more rigid control. Removals would have in effect meant that. Cato Manor's large illegal population, including the shebeen Queens and petty traders, would have been deprived of their livelihoods or endorsed out of the urban areas. (5) It was in this context that threats of a Typhoid epidemic in June 1959 caused the Durban Corporation to decide to radically increase and improve sanitation measures in Cato Manor, and to eliminate any conditions conducive to the breeding of flies. The refusal of the inhabitants of Cato Manor to do away with the large quantities of illegal liquor negated the health measures taken by the authorities. Finally, municipal labourers were ordered to enter Cato Manor and destroy all stills. The resentment aroused by this action caused a large group of women to march on the Booth Road Beerhall on June 17th whereupon they chased out the male customers and destroyed the beer. (6) The rioting spread rapidly to other Durban beerhalls and a large proportion of the Corporations property was destroyed. In addition, a successful beer boycott was launched. In Cato Manor violence had subsided by the beginning of July at which time it had already spread to such areas as Verulam and Umbumbulu. Six weeks after the initial rioting essential services had not yet been restored fully in Cato Manor. By the beginning of August unrest was rife in many of Natal's smaller towns as well as a large section of the rural areas.

Orientador: Silvia Hunold Lara / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T14:05:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Damasceno_KarineTeixeira_M.pdf: 2347606 bytes, checksum: 532fb5c372b85dc6ecf6e4d70b68a584 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A partir do cruzamento de registros da Câmara Municipal de Feira de Santana, de jornais, processos-crimes e recenseamentos populacionais no período entre 1890 e 1920, buscamos compreender a experiência de aproximação e de diferenciação entre as mulheres pobres, trabalhadoras e negras. Perguntamo-nos também como esta experiência interferiu na sua relação com outros sujeitos sociais. Ao reconstituir alguns episódios vivenciados por tais mulheres, observamos que, embora elas compartilhassem a experiência comum de opressão, por diversas vezes encontravam saídas diferentes para resolver seus problemas. Nesse sentido, descortinar o passado dessas personagens trouxe à tona os vários momentos de sociabilidade e solidariedade construídos por essas mulheres, assim como os conflitos nos quais, de alguma forma, elas estiveram envolvidas. Observamos que, na maior parte das vezes, as mulheres aparecem nos processos na posição de vítimas de alguma violência praticada por um homem de seu círculo de relações. Além disso, seu cotidiano de luta pela sobrevivência e seus valores as tornavam transgressoras de várias regras sociais e jurídicas, o que as transformava em alvos preferenciais das autoridades judiciais / Abstract: From the intersection of City Council of Feira de Santana's reports, newspapers, crimes process and population censuses on the period between 1890 and 1920; We seek to understand the experience of approach and differentiation among poor, worker and back women. We ask them also how this experience interfered in their relationship with other social subjects. By rebuilding some episodes experienced by these women, we observed that although they share the common experience of oppression, by several times they find different outputs for solve their problems. In this sense, uncover the past of these characters brought up the several sociability and solidarity moments built by these women, as well as conflicts in which, somehow they were involved. We observed that in most of the time, the women appear in proceedings on the victim position of some violence practiced by a man of their relationships' circle. Furthermore, their daily life struggle for survival and their values have become them transgressor of several social and juridical rules, what have transformed them in preferred targets of judicial authorities / Mestrado / Historia Social / Mestre em História