Discipline relationships are consensual adult relationships between submissive and dominant partners who employ authority and corporal punishment. This population uses social media to discuss the private nature of their ritualized fantasies, desires, and practices. Participants of these relationships resist a sadomasochistic label of BDSM or domestic abuse. I conducted in-depth interviews and narrative analysis of social media to explore experiences and identities of people in discipline relationships. The sample includes social media bloggers and past and present participants in discipline relationships. I compared explanations participants give for wanting and participating in discipline relationships. I combine identity theory, constructionism, post-structuralism, and critical feminism as an analytic frame to understand this practice sociologically. I found gender differences in the media format and communication style of participants, but the ritualized expressions for discipline relationships remain consistent regardless of gender. The social process of community identification for participants includes coming out, educating others and “inviting in.” The online community provides a forum for relationship negotiation techniques, and encouraging the embrace of non-normative sexual identity. Participants use social media to form a nascent social movement that resists normative views of sexuality and relationships in the dominant culture.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of African Languages in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2003. / Nowadays marriage, especially the European civil marriage is considered as holiest-of holiest, as looked against the customary or traditional marriage. It is thus why Umtsimba-the traditional bridal party-is looked down upon. Indeed those who marry the customary way are considered as barbarians who know nothing, uneducated. This is because we have taken as respectable, the civil marriage-which according to the European culture as Christian marriage, and yet even that, is the same as the customary or traditional marriage because people marry one another. What appears, and which also is irrefutable truth, is that civil marriage IS In accordance with European culture religion which has been attached to European religion. Evidence of this is that the civil marriage, begins in court and, when divorce occurs, ends in court. What makes customary marriage to be looked down upon is that all African things are despised, yet there are no laws prohibiting that which is intrinsically traditional custom of the African people. CHAPTER ONE expresses the aims of this research, which also is what caused that it and all that has been done in this chapter, be written. Even the enthusiasm that caused the writing of this research, has been adequately displayed. The methods used to obtain suffident information concerning this research have also been thoroughly explained. CHAPTER TWO deals with the weather conditions, more especially that of Mphumalanga and Swaziland areas where most Swazis are found. A short story on the origins of the Swazis has also been given. The Christian faith as well as traditional religion. CHAPTER THREE concerns the different categories (in the social structure) so that different should be known between intfombi (maiden), makoti (young Wife), umlobokati (the betrothed), malukatane (daughter-in-law) and umfati (woman / Wife). The various designations have been given in years so that it can be easier to understand the differences relative their social development. CHAPTER FOUR deals deeply into all that relates to the Swazi umtsimba as it is. Falling in love / getting married of the umlobokati (the one who has been lobolwared), kuhlambisana kwetinkhomo (the reciprocal acknowledgement relationships by the families concerned) have been adequately explained. CHAPTER FIVE clearly explains what happens after the intfombi have been married. The lobola cattle have been explained as well as why lobola has to be paid. The kushiswa kwetinyongo (the burning of the gallbladders) winds up the whole umtsimba ceremony. CHAPTER SIX sums up the whole research exercise. Recommendations concerning this research show clearly what is commendable and should be maintained in order to preserve and keep the Swazi culture intact. The whole exercise stands on this that people must get back to their own customs, if culture, and let alone customs from foreign cultures. Let the people celebrate umtsimba because this is their way of getting married. = Kulamalanga lesiphila kuwo umshado ikakhulu Iona wesilumbi utsatfwa njengal<:mgcwelengcwele kunalona wesintfu. Kungako umtsimba sewunyembenywa nje. Vele labatekana ngendlela yesintfu batsatfwa njengemacaba langati lutfo. Ingani umshado wesilumbi lolisiko labo belumbi kepha lesesiwutsatsa ngekutsi uyinkholo, uhlonishwa kakhulu kube nanawo uyefana nalowesintfu ngobe kusuke kutekwana. Lokuvelako futsi lokulidniso lelingeke nani laphikiswa kutsi umshado wesilumbi ulisiko lesilumbi leleyanyiswe nenkholo yesilumbi. Bufakazi baloko kutsi umshado wesilumbi ucala enkantolo nanome sekwehlukanwa futsi uphelela khona. Lokwenta kutsi kutsatsana ngesintfu kubukelwe phansi kutsi vele tonkhe tintfo tesintfu tibukelwa phansi kantsi ayikho nemitsetfo levikela loku lokuyinsila yebantfu SEHLUKO SEKUCALA sibeka ebaleni inhloso yalolucwaningo. Lekungiko lekwenta kutsi kubhalwe lolucwaningo nako kuvetiwe kulesehluko. Inshisekelo lenta kutsi kubhalwe lolucwaningo nave ibhaliwe ngalokwanele. Tindlela lekusetjentiswe tona kute kutsi kutfolakale Iwati lolwanele ngalolucwaningo nato tibhaliwe ngalokuphelele. SEHLUKO SESIBIU sibuke simo selitulu ikakhulukati, sendzawo yaseMphumalanga naseSwatini lapho kutfolakala khona emaSwati lamanyenti. Umlandvo lomfisha ngemvelaphi yemaswati nawo uchaziwe. EmaSwati bantfu lebalandzela inkholo yebuKhristu nenkholo yesintfu. SEHLUKO SESITSATFU sicondzene netigaba tebantfu ngekwehlukana kwabo. Tigaba tehlukanisiwe kuze bawati umehluko lokhona emkhatsini wentfombi namakoti, umlobokati, malukatane kanye nemfati. Tigaba talabadvuna nato tichaziwe ngekwehlukana kwato. Tigaba tebantfwana tehlukanisiwe ngeminyaka khona kutewubalula kucondzisisa kahle umehluko. SEHLUKO SESINE sijule kakhulu emtsimbeni unjalo. Kugana kwemlobokati, kuhlabisana ngalokuphelele. wonkhe wesiSwati njengobe kwetinkhomo kuchaziwe SEHLUKO SESIHLANU seneka ebaleni lekwentekako nangabe intfombi seyitekiwe. Tinkhomo temalobolo tichaziwe kanye nekutsi kulotjolelwani. Kushiswa kwetinyongo kusonga wonkhe umtsimba kutsi sewuphelele. SEHLUKO SESITFUPHA sisonga wonkhe umsebenti welucwaningo sewuphelele. Tincomo ngalolucwaningo tikuveta ebaleni lekutusekako lekumele kutsi kulandzelwe kute kutsi emasiko esiSwati ahlale agcinekile. Lomsebenti wonkhe ume ekutseni bantfu ababuyele emasikweni abo bayekele emasiko ebantfu bekuchamuka. Bantfu ababuyele bagidze umtsimba wesintfu ngobe ngiyona ndlela yabo yekuteka umfati.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Ukuthwala is an ancient cultural practice that has been exercised in various parts of South Africa, especially in the Eastern Cape. It occurs in different communities and is informed by traditional beliefs. The man’s family devises a plan to bring the girl to their compound without her knowledge. In some instances, this plan is formulated together with the girl’s family, but when the man’s family acts without the prior knowledge of the girl’s family, they are obligated to inform them by means of a letter, or by delegating a family member, that their daughter is not missing. Furthermore, the man’s family will request a day with the girl’s family for lobolo (dowry) negotiations for the girl. The girl’s family will oversee the process of ukuthwala to ensure that all the requirements are met and that there is mutual understanding between the families; however, this is done without the involvement of the girl child (Mjwara, 2014).

The present study was an attempt to further investigate what factors contributed to whether married individuals defined their relationship as traditional or nontraditional. The project, moreover, explored what variables affected marital adjustment levels. The variables whose effects were assessed regarding whether married individuals defined their relationship as traditional or nontraditional included self-actualization and presence or absence of children. The factors examined thought to affect marital adjustment levels were self-actualization, subjective definition of the relationship as traditional or nontraditional, and presence or absence of children.

This dissertation compares the family and marriage traditions of the Ashantis of Ghana and Ancient Hebrews. Some common features characterize the two societies, principal among which is the idea that having children is the key purpose of marrieage above love and intimacy. Others are the low status of the wife in the domestic context; endogamy rules based on consanguinity; and payment of bride price. However, the two traditions differ in important areas. For example, the Ashantis follow kinship system based on matrilineal descent, succession and inheritance and the girl child is preferred. The patriarchal system of the Ancient Hebrews invest all authority in the father and the male heirs is preferred. Other defining factor in Ashanti and Pentateuchcal marriage is their religion and belief systems. Much of the marriage traditions seem to be cultural references rather than religious imperatives binding on Christians today. / Old Testament & Ancient Near Eastern Studies / Thesis (M.Th.)

This dissertation compares the family and marriage traditions of the Ashantis of Ghana and Ancient Hebrews. Some common features characterize the two societies, principal among which is the idea that having children is the key purpose of marrieage above love and intimacy. Others are the low status of the wife in the domestic context; endogamy rules based on consanguinity; and payment of bride price. However, the two traditions differ in important areas. For example, the Ashantis follow kinship system based on matrilineal descent, succession and inheritance and the girl child is preferred. The patriarchal system of the Ancient Hebrews invest all authority in the father and the male heirs is preferred. Other defining factor in Ashanti and Pentateuchcal marriage is their religion and belief systems. Much of the marriage traditions seem to be cultural references rather than religious imperatives binding on Christians today. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / Thesis (M.Th.)

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-206) / This thesis describes a family variation among urban Nigerian couples called a commuter marriage. A commuter marriage in this study is defined as a union between a dual earner/dual career couple where the husband and wife have decided to live apart from each other due to work commitments until such a time as is convenient for them to live continuously together again. This separation is mainly undertaken to improve their financial and career prospects. The study seeks to understand what dynamics are involved in a commuter marriage in Jos, Plateau State. The Life Course Perspective, with a focus on the gendered life course perspective, serves as a theoretical framework for this study. The perspective assumes that families undergoing the same transitions are likely to display the same characteristics which may not be necessarily relevant for all families in the same life stage, while the gendered life course perspective acknowledges the gendered context. At the same time the cultural context of the Nigerian society in terms of family norms are taken into account. An overview of commuter marriages, including characteristics of commuter marriages and non-traditional marriages linked to commuter marriages are provided. The differences between established and adjusting couples were repeatedly underlined. The research has an underlying interpretivist paradigm, therefore a qualitative research methodology was deemed best for the study. A semi-structured interview guide and time diaries were used to obtain data from seventeen participants. It was found that a commuter marriage is costly financially, socially and emotionally. An emphasis on the male provider and the wife as the manager of the resources was highlighted. Commuter couples report that their greatest support system constitute their family members who show the most understanding to their situation. Commuter fathers were generally passionate about their fatherly roles, but had conflicting feelings about balancing work and family, feeling the family is losing out. Generally, commuter couples in this study showed a sincere desire for the commuting relationship not to span an indefinite amount of time. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)