This thesis examines the agricultural labour process on commercial farms in post-apartheid South Africa with a particular focus on systems of labour control on these farms. Considerable literature exists about the labour process in capitalist society but the capitalist labour process does not exist in any pure form. Rather, different labour processes exist and the specific form they take depends on spatial and temporal conditions. Additionally, labour processes are often economic sector-specific. Because of variation in capitalist labour processes, differences in systems of labour control (or labour control regimes) also arise. Historically, up until the end of apartheid in 1994, the labour control regime on commercial farms in South Africa was marked by a paternalistic despotism of a racialised kind. This in part reflected the fact that commercial farms were simultaneously sites of both economic production and social reproduction and, further, they were very privatised agrarian spaces largely unregulated (specifically with regard to labour) by the state. Since the end of apartheid, commercial farms have been subjected to multiple pressures. Notably, the South African state has strongly intervened in labour relations on commercial farms, and commercial farms have been subjected to ongoing neo-liberal restructuring. This has led to the prospects of changes in the prevailing labour control system on commercial farms. In this context, the thesis pursues the following key objective: to understand changes and continuities in the labour process on commercial farms – and particularly labour control systems – subsequent to the end of apartheid in South Africa. It does so with reference to four farms in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces.

A qualitative research design and an ethno-nursing research method were used to identify cultural factors influencing Xhosa women's health seeking behaviours associated with breast lumps. Focus group interviews were conducted to obtain data. The research results revealed that these Xhosa women with breast lumps did not disclose some cultural factors which influenced their health seeking behaviours associated breast lumps. Registered nurses, sharing the same culture and language as the Xhosa women, revealed that Xhosa women with breast lumps sought treatment from traditional healers, prior to seeking medical care from the hospital and/or clinics. When they arrive at the hospital/clinics the breast lumps have often progressed to advanced ulcerated breast cancer, with poor prognoses and poor treatment outcomes. Xhosa women lacked knowledge about the management of breast lumps. Health promotion efforts should address this issue at Primary Health Care services in the Eastern Cape. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

A qualitative research design and an ethno-nursing research method were used to identify cultural factors influencing Xhosa women's health seeking behaviours associated with breast lumps. Focus group interviews were conducted to obtain data. The research results revealed that these Xhosa women with breast lumps did not disclose some cultural factors which influenced their health seeking behaviours associated breast lumps. Registered nurses, sharing the same culture and language as the Xhosa women, revealed that Xhosa women with breast lumps sought treatment from traditional healers, prior to seeking medical care from the hospital and/or clinics. When they arrive at the hospital/clinics the breast lumps have often progressed to advanced ulcerated breast cancer, with poor prognoses and poor treatment outcomes. Xhosa women lacked knowledge about the management of breast lumps. Health promotion efforts should address this issue at Primary Health Care services in the Eastern Cape. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Social Work / M. A. (Social Science)

Social Work / M. A. (Social Science)