This thesis interrogates the dynamics of urbanisation, gender and migration in contemporary Johannesburg through the voices and images of migrant women from the rest of the African continent, now living in Johannesburg. By revealing the lives of a population group that is often hidden from view, it provides details of women’s migration to Johannesburg, and their everyday encounters in the host city. Using these experiences, it sheds light on contemporary migration and urbanisation processes on the continent, expanding our knowledge of the contours of power that shape urban life in Johannesburg and elsewhere. Using the metaphor of the “border” or “borderlands” this thesis explores how women negotiate, cross and remain “in between” the multiple physical, social and imagined borders they encounter in the city. It finds that analyses that read the city through class relationships and capital accumulation do not give adequate weight to the multiple identities and forms of solidarity that exist in cities. Women’s narratives reveal that while their class is an important identity, other identities such as ethnicity, nationality and gender also powerfully shape solidarity and modes of belonging in the city. Moreover, state-centric governance frameworks that have dominated urban policy and scholarly work on the continent are often blinded to the ways in which urban dweller’s actions shift our understanding of the nature and character of state power. Women’s encounters with the state reveal the multiple regimes of power that constitute the city, and the ways in which these subvert, fragment, and yet at times reinforce state power in unpredictable ways. The epistemological approach and findings of this research bring to the fore broader questions around the paradigmatic lenses used to read, interpret and understand African cities. Dominant paradigms tend to draw on western models of cities in ways that undermine African cities’ empirical realities and theoretical potential. For as long as scholars and policy makers fail to see African urbanity in its own terms rather than in relation to how cities elsewhere have evolved, we will continue to miss critical socio-political and economic dynamics that are shaping urbanisation in the twenty first century. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology))

Text in English / This study is focused on the topical issue of female poverty in South Africa. Specifically, the study is on how poverty has single mothers households in reception area of Diepsloot informal settlements and how they have been coping with poverty while at the same time trying to change their situation. The study is premised on a qualitative approach employing the use of snowball sampling to refer other single mothers resident in the reception area. Methodologically, the results are drawn primarily on interviews held with 30 women residing in the reception area of the informal settlements. The study selects 8 out of 30 case studies which stand out from the others in circumstances, challenges and livelihood assets; challenges and coping mechanisms. What emerges from the results of all the interviews is a complex range of factors influencing and exacerbating these households' vulnerability and resilience to chronic poverty. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe contributing factors that influence the perceptions of women with fibroids from diverse cultures regarding hysterectomy. The area of research was delimited to issues of hysterectomy among women with fibroid uterus. The study employed a descriptive explorative method and data were collected by means of structured questionnaires. The study was conducted in one academic referral hospital, over a period of six months. The respondents were the patients with fibroid uterus and the doctors and nurses in the gynaecological units of the hospital. The majority of the patients indicated that they were afraid of undergoing a hysterectomy because of the social stigma associated with this life-saving procedure, such as alienation or marginalization by members of their respective communities. The nursing staff and gynaecologists in the unit emphasized the deep-seated fear of hysterectomy amongst women from diverse cultures. The study found that women need information about their bodies and how they function. Health education is also needed for women and their communities. Research is needed amongst members of different communities and diverse cultures to voice their perceptions of women undergoing hysterectomy because of ill health. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe contributing factors that influence the perceptions of women with fibroids from diverse cultures regarding hysterectomy. The area of research was delimited to issues of hysterectomy among women with fibroid uterus. The study employed a descriptive explorative method and data were collected by means of structured questionnaires. The study was conducted in one academic referral hospital, over a period of six months. The respondents were the patients with fibroid uterus and the doctors and nurses in the gynaecological units of the hospital. The majority of the patients indicated that they were afraid of undergoing a hysterectomy because of the social stigma associated with this life-saving procedure, such as alienation or marginalization by members of their respective communities. The nursing staff and gynaecologists in the unit emphasized the deep-seated fear of hysterectomy amongst women from diverse cultures. The study found that women need information about their bodies and how they function. Health education is also needed for women and their communities. Research is needed amongst members of different communities and diverse cultures to voice their perceptions of women undergoing hysterectomy because of ill health. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)

Text in English with abstracts in English, isiXhosa and isiZulu / Research about intimate partner violence (hereafter IPV) in South Africa indicate that there are high prevalence rates. The negative effects of this phenomenon create a wide range of physical, mental and emotional problems for those exposed to it. There have been various intervention programmes designed to address IPV. However, the high incidence indicates that these have been ineffective. Seeking to explore women’s lived experiences of IPV at a non-profit organisation, this study gathered data from women with experiences of IPV. Eight participants were selected based on purposive sampling technique from a non-profit organization in Johannesburg. Utilizing semi-structured interviews conducted in English for a duration of one hour, data was gathered from the participants. Using IPA and the ecological model as a theoretical framework to interpret the women’s lived experiences. The findings of the study indicated that individual factors such as childhood exposure to violence influenced the women’s lived experiences of IPV. Stereotypical gender roles and economic strains were found to be at the core of the women’s lived experiences of IPV. Furthermore, broader societal values and beliefs about violence proved to validate and normalise the violence women experienced. The findings broaden our understanding of intimate partner violence and offer an opportunity to add knowledge of intimate partner violence in the South African context. / Uphando malunga nobundlobongela obenziwa liqabane othandana nalo (apha okubizwa ngokuba yi-IPV) eMzantsi Afrika lubonakalisa ukuba bukwizinga eliphezulu. Iziphumo ezibi zesi senzeko zidala iingxaki ezahlukahlukeneyo ngokwasemzimbeni, ngokwasengqondweni nangokwasemphefumlweni kwabo basesichengeni sazo. Iinkqubo zongenelelo ezahlukahlukeneyo ziye zayilelwa ukuhlangabezana neIPV. Nangona kunjalo, izehlo eziphezulu zibonakalisa ukuba azikhange zisebenze. Ngokufuna ukuphonononga iimeko amabhinqa aphila phantsi kwazo zeIPV kwiqumrhu elingenzi nzuzo, olu phononongo luqokelele idatha kumabhinqa aphila phantsi kweemeko zeIPV. Abathabathinxaxheba abasibhozo bakhethwa kwiqumrhu elingenzi nzuzo eGoli ngokusekelwe kubuchule bokusampula okunenjongo. Kusetyenziswa udliwanondlebe olwakheke ngokwesiqingatha olwaqhutywa ngesiNgesi ngesithuba seyure enye, idatha yaye yaqokelelwa kubathabathinxaxheba. Uhlalutyo lwamava emo yesenzeko umntu aphila phantsi kwaso (i-IPA) kunye nemodeli yonxibelelwano phakathi koluntu nemekobume yalo zasetyenziswa njengenkqubosikhokelo sethiyori ukutolika iimeko amabhinqa aphila phantsi kwazo. Iziphumo zophononongo zabonakalisa ukuba iimeko ezizodwa ezinje ngokuba sesichengeni sobundlobongela ebuntwaneni ziphembelele iimeko amabhinqa aphila phantsi kwazo zeIPV. Iindima zobuni zeengcinga ezisoloko zisetyenziswa njalo kunye nengxaki yezoqoqosho zafumaniseka zingoyena ndoqo weemeko amabhinqa aphila phantsi kwazo ngokuphathelele kwi-IPV. Kwakhona, imikhwa esulungekileyo yoluntu ngokubanzi kunye neenkolelo malunga nobundlobongela zibonakalise ukwamkela nokubenza bube yinto eqhelekileyo ubundlobongela obuthe behlela amabhinqa.Iziphumo zenza siqonde ngokungaphaya ngeIPV kwaye zinika ithuba lokongeza ulwazi ngeIPV kwimeko yaseMzantsi Afrika. / Ucwaningo mayelana nodlame lwezithandani (emva kwalokhu oluzobizwa nge-IPV) eNingizimu Afrika lukhombisa ukuphakama okukhulu kwamazinga okwanda nokusabalala kwalolu hlobo lodlame kuleli. Imithelela engemihle neze yalolu dlame idala izinkinga eziningi impela kulabo abazithola bebhekene nalolu dlame, okungaba yizinkinga zomzimba, zengqondo kanye nezomphefumulo. Ziningi izinhlelo zokungenelela ezisunguliwe njengomzamo wokuqeda isihlava se-IPV. Kepha-ke, ukubhebhetheka nokusabalala kakhulu kwezigameko zalolu dlame kubonisa ukuthi azisebenzi neze kahle lezi zinhlelo zokungenelela. Lolu cwaningo lwaqoqa idatha kwabesifazane abake bahlangabezana ne-IPV, ngenhloso yokucubungula nokuhlaziya ngokujulile izigameko abadlule kuzona abesifazane abayizisulu ze-IPV abathola usizo enhlanganweni engenzi nzuzo. Ababambiqhaza abayisishiyagalombili abavela enhlanganweni engenzi nzuzo eGoli bakhethwa ngokulandela indlela yokukhetha ababambiqhaza ngokwezici-bunjalo zabo ezihambelana nezinhloso zocwaningo. Idatha yaqoqwa kubabambiqhaza ngokusebenzisa izingxoxo ezingama-semi-structured interviews ezabanjwa ngolimi lwesiNgisi isikhathi esiyihora. Kwasetshenziswa i-interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) kanye ne-ecological model njengohlaka lwethiyori yokuhumusha izigameko abadlule kuzona abesifazane ezimpilweni zabo.Imiphumela-ngqangi yocwaningo yakhombisa ukuthi izimo eziqondene nomuntu ngamunye, njengokuhlangabezana komuntu nodlame ngenkathi eseyingane, kwaba nomthelela kwindlela abesifazane abahlangabezana ngayo nezigameko ze-IPV nezinyathelo abazithathayo kanye nolwazi abaluzuzayo kulokhu. Amaqhaza kanye nemisebenzi ethathwa njengemisebenzi yabesifazane kuphela kanye nezimo zomnotho ezinzima ababhekene nazo abesifazane kwaba nomthelela kwindlela abahlangabezana ngayo nezigameko ze-IPV kanye nezinyathelo abazithathayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izimompilo kanye nezinkolelo zomphakathi wonkana eziphathelene nodlame zabonisa ukugunyazeka ngandlelathize kodlame abahlangabezane nalo abesifazane futhi ngokunjalo zalwenza lwaba yinto ethathwa njengejwayelekile. Imiphumela-ngqangi yocwaningo ikhulisa ukuqonda kwethu i-IPV futhi ihlinzeka ngethuba lokwengeza olwazini lwe-IPV oluqondene nesimo saseNingizimu Afrika. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)