Browsing by Author "Msiza, Vusi Jan."
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Item Masculinity and care: narratives of male Foundation Phase teachers in Mpumalanga Province=Ubulisa nokunakekela: izindaba zabesilisa abawothisha bamabanga ayisisekelo esifundazweni saseMpumalanga.(2022) Msiza, Vusi Jan.; Msibi, Thabo Perceviarence.Teaching in the foundation phase (Grade R to 3), particularly of children who are at the ages of 5 to 9 years, is still dominated by female teachers. Male teachers both globally and in South Africa are still under-represented in the early years of teaching. Literature has shown that the reluctance of men to join the phase is driven by the assumption that foundation phase (FP) teaching is care work and care is constructed as a responsibility of women. Patriarchy and toxic masculinities have been the main contributors in exempting men from caring activities in households, workplaces (schools) or society. For instance, studies show that existing male foundation phase teachers in the field are often ridiculed, and their masculinity is questioned for taking work that is not associated with men. Others negotiate being male foundation phase teachers by distancing themselves from caring activities. The study sought to explore male foundation phase teachers’ understanding of care and how they relate their understandings to their masculinities and teacher identities. The study was guided by a narrative inquiry methodology, and I used two methods of generating data. The first was letter-writing and the second was interview-conversations. I conducted the study in the province of Mpumalanga in South Africa. Through a snowball sampling technique, I recruited 13 male teachers who are placed in different grades within the phase. The theoretical framework of the study consists of three theories, the first being the theory of masculinities, followed by intersectionality theory and the four phases of care, as espoused by Joan Tronto. The theories assisted with understanding how masculinities were constructed, contested and negotiated in the experiences that result from the intersection of different identities as well as the types and degrees of care. Fatherhood emerged as a central theme in the study. I found that the prevailing discourse of protection is embedded in the performative act of being fathers to the fatherless children. This finding emerged in a context where fatherhood has often not been aligned with emotional care but more with material provision. The participants’ historical experiences of care as young children were found to be central to the ways in which they understood and provided care. The participants who in their childhood had not experienced love and emotional care, and whose fathers had been absent, foregrounded these aspects in their provision of care. Furthermore, the findings show that the participants had a willingness to participate in caring activities, however the historical privileges that men benefit from resulted in gendered performances of care. The participants assisted boys and requested female teachers or staff members to assist with the girls due to the fear of being suspected of child molestation. The study concludes by calling on more policy work on care to address what care is and its provision in the context of FP teaching. Also, teacher education institutions, especially early childhood education departments, should enhance their training on issues of gender, care, and sexuality. While the study is contributing new insights into the field of foundation phase teaching both in South Africa and globally, there is still a need for further research, for instance studying the experiences of male foundation phase teachers who engage in same-sex relationships. Iqoqa Ukufundisa emazingeni ayisisekelo (Grade R to 3), ikakhulukazi abantwana abaneminyaka ephakathi kweyi-5 kuya kweyi-9, kusabuswa othisha besifazane. Othisha besilisa emhlabeni wonke jikelele kanye naseNingizimu Afrika basembalwa kakhulu ekufundiseni amabanga ayisiekelo. Imibhalo yongoti ikhombisa ukuthi ukungathandi kwabesilisa ukufundisa kuleli zinga kwenziwa wukucabanga ukuthi ifoundation phase (FP) iwumsebenzi wokunakekela kanti loko kunakekela kuthathwa njengomsebenzi wabesifazane. Ukuqonela kwabesilisa nobulisa obulimazayo kuneqhaza ekuboneni amadoda engafanele ukunakekela emakhaya, emsebenzini (ezikoleni) noma emphakathini. Isibonelo kungaba yileso sokuthi abesilisa abawothisha emabangeni ayisisekelo bahlekwa usulu ngenxa yobulili babo, kuthiwe benza umsebenzi ongeyamaniswa nhlobo namadoda. Abanye baxoxisana ngokuba wothisha bamabanga ayisisekelo ngokuziqhelelanisa nemisebenzi ehambisana nokunakekela. Lolu cwaningo lwaluhlose ukubhekisisa ukuthi othisha abafundisa emabangeni ayisisekelo bayiqondisisa kanjani eyokunakekela nokuthi lokhu kuqondisisa bakuyamanisa kanjani nobulisa nobuthisha babo. Ucwaningo lwasebenzisa indlela yocwaningo olulandisayo kanye nezindlela ezimbili zokuqoqa imininingo. Eyokuqala kwaba eyobhaloncwadi kanti eyesibili kwaba eyezingxoxo nemposambuzo. Lolu cwaningo lwenziwa esifundazweni saseMpumalanga eNingizimu Afrika. Ngokusebenzisa ukuqoka okunikezelanayo, kwatholwa othisha besilisa abayi-13 abafundisa amabanga ahlukene emfundweni yamabanga aphansi. Kwasetshenziswa izinjulalwazi ezintathu. Eyokuqala kwaba yinjulalwazi itheory of masculinities, kwalandela i-intersectionality theory kanye ne-four phases of care, eyamaniswa noJoan Tronto. Izinjulalwazi zasiza kakhulu ekuqondisiseni ukuthi iqhamuka kanjani indlela esibuka ngayo ubulisa ngenxa yezinto ezihlukahlukene esizenzayo kanye nezinga lokunakekela. Ukuba wubaba kuhlonzwe njengendikimba enqala kulolu cwaningo. Imiphumela iveze ukuthi inkulumo ejwayelekile yokuvikela igxile ekubambeni iqhaza lokuba ubaba kulezo ngane ezingenabo obaba. Lo mphumela uvele ezimweni lapho ukuba wubaba bekungahlangene nokunakekela kodwa bekumayelana nokunikeza izidingongqangi. Impilo yokunakekelwa ababambiqhaza abayiphile besebancane ibonakale inomthelela endleleni abaqondisisa futhi abanikeza ngayo ukunakekela. Ababambiqhaza abangazange baluthole uthando nokunakekelwa ebunganeni, futhi ababengenabo obaba eduzane, bazivezile lezi zinto ekunikeni ukunakekela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imiphumela ikhombise ukuthi ababambiqhaza bakhombise ukufisa ukubamba iqhaza ekunakekeleni, kodwa amalungelo abevuna abesilisa phambilini aqhamuke nohlobo lokunakekela olugcine luhamba ngokobulili. Ababambiqhaza bebesiza izingane zabafana bese becela ozakwabo besifazane ukuba basize izingane zamantombazane njengoba bekunokwesaba ukuthi bangasolwa ngokunukubeza. Ucwaningo luphetha ngokuhlaba ikhwelo lokuba kube nenqubomgomo ngokuthi kuyini ukunakekela nokuthi kumele kunikezwe kanjani emfundweni yamabanga ayisisekelo. Kanti nezikhungo zokufundisa othisha kumele zithuthukise izindlela zokuqeqesha kugxilwe kwezobulili, ezokunakekela kanye nemizwa ngokocansi. Yize lolu cwaningo luphonse esivivaneni ulwazi olusha emkhakheni wezokufundisa emabangeni ayisisekelo eNingizimu Afrika nasemhlabeni jikelele, lusadingeka olunye ucwaningo, njengokucwaninga ngempilo yothisha besilisa abafundisa emabangeni ayisisekelo abazibandakanya othandweni lobulili obufanayo.Item Masculinity and foundation phase teaching: exploring the identities of male teachers in Mpumalanga schools.(2016) Msiza, Vusi Jan.; Msibi, Thabo Perceviarence.The phenomenon of male teachers teaching in foundation phase classrooms in South Africa remains an under-researched area of work. Men who choose to be foundation phase teachers are often criticised and ridiculed (Petersen, 2014). This is because foundation phase teaching is considered by society to be women’s work. Using Connell (2005) theory of masculinities and the intersectionality theory (Crenshaw, 1991) as frameworks, this study seeks to explore how male teachers, who are already in the field teaching in the foundation phase, construct and negotiate their gender and professional identities. A case study methodology was used in the study, with Mpumalanga province being the case under exploration. Nine participants were observed and each interviewed twice. The study found that male teachers in the foundation phase are constructing their identities by positioning themselves as parents, mainly ‘fathers’, to the learners in the classroom. Also, the study found that an appeal to traditional gender roles was made, with male teachers in the phase taking senior grades within the foundation phase (such as Grades 3 and 2), with the lower grades like Grade R and 1 being seen as suitable for females. Another finding of the study was that the male teachers negotiated their identities by constructing themselves as pioneers, powerful, better physical education teachers and knowledgeable compared to their female counterparts. The study concludes by suggesting that more research focusing on masculinity in relation to foundation phase teaching in the South African context is needed. The Department of Education is called upon to re-visit their recruitment policies and programmes in order to attract more male teachers into the foundation phase, in order to ‘normalise’ the male presence in this phase.Item Negotiating gender identities in higher education: experiences of female residence assistants at selected student residences in Durban.(2022) Mazibuko, Phakamile Sethabile.; Msiza, Vusi Jan.The phenomenon of residence assistants’ lived experiences in higher education remains an under-researched area of work despite the emerging challenges relating to gender inequality, toxic masculinities, and homophobia. A residential experience is an integral part of students’ identity, learning, and development. This suggests that “external” environments such as personal and social contribute to students’ overarching educational experiences and are crucial to be studied. Existing literature both nationally and internationally suggests a gap of knowledge, particularly the lived experiences of female residence assistants who are also final year or postgraduate students. The gap of knowledge is a concern considering the peak times of gender inequality and different forms of violence taking place in student residences such as Gender-based violence and Intimate partner violence. The aim of this study was to explore female RAs’ lived experiences of negotiating gender identities at selected student residences in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. I therefore used the intersectionality theory by Crenshaw (1989) as a theoretical framework to make sense of the participants’ experiences. This study adopted the qualitative research approach and used narrative inquiry as a research methodology. Letters and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data. Four participants wrote the letters to the researcher and were each interviewed three times. To analyse data, this study used narrative analysis (first level) and analysis of narratives (second level) approaches. The study found that female RAs experienced multiple oppressions in Durban student residences such as bullying and harassment as a result of their multiple intersecting identities. The study also found that despite the extreme challenges and pressures exerted on female RAs, they still demonstrated agency, commitment, and resilience towards negotiating for diversity, gender equality, and tolerance in student residences. The study has shown that higher education spaces, particularly student residences are still hubs of gender inequality, hostility, and intolerance towards women and the queer community. The study concludes by suggesting that there is an urgent need to study the lived experiences of residence assistants within the queer community, this will be helpful to enhance respect for diversity in higher education spaces.