Gender Studies

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Gender and the political economy of health and health care of women with reference to African women in the Natal/Zululand region.
(1990) Dyer, Claire.; Posel, Rosalind.
The purpose of this thesis is two-fold: it attempts to develop a feminist theory of health and health care of women and moves beyond the political economy theory of health and health care grounded in Marxist principles. Secondly, it attempts to apply these feminist theoretical principles, incorporating the methodology of historical materialism, to a specific historical situation - that of African women in Natal/Zululand in the nineteenth century. The thesis is divided into three parts. The first provides an overview of the political economy of health and the Marxist theory on which it is based. The second section deals specifically with feminist theoretical concerns: particularly the need to incorporate the concept of gender and the sexual division of labour into analysis of the position of women in society. In addition, it focusses on women's particular health needs and attempts to incorporate these into a feminist theory of health and health care. The third part examines the health and health care of African women in pre-colonial Natal/Zululand by focussing on their role in procreation and production, and changing health patterns and health care under colonial rule.
Evaluation of a coping skills training programme designed to raise self esteem in divorced women.
(1991) Smith, Carol.
The purpose of this study was to design, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a Coping Skills Training Programme in raising divorced women's self esteem and coping behaviour. This study incorporated feminist self esteem training and coping skills training which made use of social learning theory and. cognitive behavioural techniques, including rational emotive therapy. The Coping Skills Programme had an educational and personal growth focus and was presented in a written manual form consisting of educational notes, group exercises and homework assignments and was designed to be conducted on a small group basis for twelve sessions of two hours each. Evaluation of the programme included a qualitative, descriptive and quantitative research method which incorporated a 'between group' design (i .e. allocation of participants to an experimental and a control group at random and withheld treatment from the control group) and a 'single case' design which involved participants completing self report measurement data. In addition a 'replication phase' was added in which the control group served as the experimental group. Measurement tool s included the Index of Self Esteem (Hudson, 1982 : 9) and the Generalized Contentment Scale (Hudson, 1982 : 8) and various self measurement scales. Collection of the measurement data took place before, during and after the intervention.Results are statistically and graphically presented and on the basis of previous research, it was accurately predicted that the Coping Skills Training Programme would significantly raise the self esteem of divorced women.
An investigation of gender discrimination against South African women educators of Indian descent.
(1991) Pahliney, Kethamonie.; Posel, Rosalind.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
Claims of gender discrimination by women educators in South Africa were investigated through an examination of specific issues surrounding the employment of women educators of Indian descent. These include maternity leave, housing subsidy, pension scheme, medical aid, salaries, merit awards and promotions. The study is located within the context of the general oppression of all women in society. The analysis used the sexual division of labour as its central focus. Since the subjects under investigation were members of a minority ethnic group, factors such as their cultural heritage, race, and class difference were considered an integral part of the analysis. The study assessed the validity of each of the claims of discrimination through an examination of official documentation such as the Principal's Handbook and staff circulars relating to teachers' conditions of service, regulations and occupational incentives. Wherever possible, the claims were empirically examined through an analysis of the responses obtained from a sample of educators. Cross-tabulations and Chi-square analyses were used to test the claims statistically. Participation in a union as a possible organising strategy for women educators in their challenge of gender discrimination is suggested. A list of recommendations for the amelioration of gender discrimination against women educators is presented at the end of the study.
Entering the teaching profession as a woman : some student perceptions.
(1992) Shepherd, Maryna Bell.; Moller, Valerie.; Morrell, Robert Graham.; Posel, Rosalind.
The overall aim of this research is to probe, and attempt an understanding of, women student teachers' choice of teaching as a career. Because of various limitations, this research is no more than an exploratory study, which, hopefully may contribute to a deeper appreciation of teaching as a worthy career. This researcher's own feminist perspective has determined the questions asked in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative research was undertaken, in order to answer the central question of this research: How do some women students at Edgewood College of Education perceive the teaching profession and their role in it? It became obvious that teaching is perceived by too many as a short term job, rather than as a long-term career; but when circumstances governing teachers' employment, coupled with the influences of a patriarchal society are considered, this perception is perhaps not unexpected. Some tentative recommendations are offered to counter this negative perception of teaching as a convenient, but temporary job for women.
We are so poor : an investigation into the lives of ten women living in an informal area in the Durban Functional Region with particular reference to the role of domestic fuels.
(1992) Annecke, Wendy Jill.; Posel, Rosalind.
This dissertation explores the texture of women's lives in an urban informal area, with the particular aim of highlighting their use of domestic energies in the absence of their access to electricity. The investigation into domestic fuel usage is situated within the context of other basic needs: shelter, water and food and the acquisition of these. Each is separately explored. The domestic fuel sources used by the women were primarily paraffin and candles. The dissertation argues that there is no simple equation between household income and fuel purchase but that the acquisition of food and fuel are mutually dependent and contingent upon a complex set of variables which include the perceived physical and emotional well-being of the woman and her household. Furthermore the dissertation argues that given the extent of informal settlements and poverty nationally, candles and paraffin are likely to continue to be extensively used in the future. despite their disadvantages and the desirability of electricity. The dissertation submits that the reasons for this pertain to the accessibility and relative affordability of paraffin to households whose buying power is constrained as much by the form in which their income is derived as by its inadequacy. These arguments are elucidated through case studies of ten women who live in non-electrified homes in Canaan. The women concerned monitored their consumption of and expenditure on water, food, and fuel for a month, and met once a week as a group while they were doing so. Finally the dissertation suggests that national energy planners should take into account the manner in which women perceive and manage their housekeeping roles, particularly cooking, as well as the form in which household income is derived in order to determine strategies and energy policies which would would be women-friendly and support the needs of the extensive numbers of impoverished households in South Africa.
Attitudes of older persons, and their care-givers, towards human sexuality.
(1992) Stark, Marlies.; Clark, Phillippa.
The literature reviewed reveals changing attitudes towards sexuality generally and towards sexuality and the elderly in particular. These changes are ' .... represented by a shift from religious organization of moral life to increasingly secular regulation embodied in the emergence of new medical, psychological and educational norms' (Weeks 1986,p.33). However, it seems that these changes have not necessarily affected provision of care for older persons in a positive way. This study focusses on attitudes of older women, housed in traditional large residential units, and attitudes of caregivers of the residents in such units, towards human sexuality. Data was obtained by means of the administration of the Sexual Attitude Scale (Hudson and Murphy, 1976) which is a summated rating scale. The attitudes of subjects toward self-determination in human sexuality in the context of the aging person's life are specifically considered. The major findings of the study were that residents attitudes towards human sexuality were generally extremely conservative. However, this clearly did not extend to a belief that sex was only for the young. Attitudes expressed by staff towards human sexuality were on the whole liberal and they agreed that sex was not only for the young. However, although caregivers support the idea that sexuality in the later years is important in theory, their actions do not bear this out. The findings have implications for the prevailing arrangements for caring in traditional large residential care units with respect to house rules, and education in human sexuality for residents, staff and relatives of the elderly.
A critical study of the life of Sibusisiwe Makanya and her work as educator and social worker in the Umbumbulu district of Natal 1894-1971.
(1995) Khan, Umehani.; Burns, Catherine E.
This is a study of the life of Sibusisiwe Makanya and her work as an educator and social worker in Umbumbulu, a peri urban area on the south coast of Natal. In this construction of her life I have referred to the Makanya Papers, housed in the Killie Camp bell Africana Library; the Rheinhallt Jones papers and the Bantu Youth League papers, housed in the South African Institute of Race Relations papers at the University of the Witwatersrand's Historical Papers Collection; the Forman Collection at the University of Cape Town; and the papers of the Second Annual Conference of the Zulu Society housed in the Natal Archives, Pietermaritzburg. There are no direct kith or kin alive today who could be interviewed to provide detailed perspectives about the life of Sibusisiwe. However, three people, who had known her, have been interviewed for information that sheds more light on the life and times in which she lived. Sibusisiwe Makanya's life demonstrates an interesting departure from what was generally perceived to be the status and role of women in African rural society in the early years of this century. To a considerable extent, she was among a vanguard--challenging an array of traditional and sexist array of forces blocking her path. Through this she created a space for other women to renegotiate or avoid the roles that their society had determined for them. This thesis is divided into six chapters: Chapter One positions Sibusisiwe Makanya in her historical period and attempts to answer some issues relating to representation and the nature of biographical writing as it has arisen in. South African Women's Studies and the concern relating to silences and lacunae in evidence regarding Sibusisiwe. Chapter Two deals with the life and work of Sibusisiwe before she left to study in the USA. Chapter Three discusses her sojourn in America and the educational and personal challenges she had to deal with. Chapter Four explores the nature of work she initiated as a social worker in a rural/ peri urban area of South Africa. Chapter Five discusses her work as she became more firmly established and as she became a role model fo other women, both for her dedicated community work and for her self actualisation. Chapter Six draws together the various themes discussed in the thesis and explains the relevance of Sibusisiwe's work for the new South Africa.
Indian women in politics from 1946 to 1963 : a focus on the Transvaal.
(1996) Goolab, Champa.; Posel, Rosalind.
No abstract available.
Teaching gender in English literature at a South African secondary school in KwaZulu Natal (KZN)
(1998) Singh, Naveen.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
Work on gender in education has only recently gained impetus in South Africa. The GETT report (1997) draws attention to the paucity of context-based and qualitative research in this area particularly with regard to the extent to "which knowledge, skills and attitudes developed by boys and girls through schooling are gendered, and the extent to which such factors as ... teaching practices and out-of-school experiences are involved" (GETT, 1997: 116). It was in specific response to the above area of concern that this project was conceived. In this light, the project provides a detailed analysis of a classroom in which the teacher taught (what she considered) a seemingly innocuous, 'gender neutral ' short-story to a grade 10 (standard eight ) class. An in-depth examination of how pupils interacted with the short-story as well as the teacher's approach to the text was undertaken to establish how a gendered discourse was generated and how that discourse fed into, or undermined, dominant hegemonic gender practices. In addition, a closer look at interactional processes (that is, learning styles and strategies; and teacher-pupil and pupil-pupil interaction) was conducted to uncover whether gender was implicated in their operation within the classroom. Hence, the project constitutes an attempt to explore the extent to which the text, pedagogical practices, and out-of-school (lived) experiences were involved in shaping the pupils' knowledge and understanding of their gender identities. The particular class of forty grade 10 pupils who formed the main focus of the study came from an ex-House of Delegates (HOD) secondary school at which I am presently a senior teacher of English. The school was established in 1961 in Asherville, a middle- to working class Indian residential area about 5 kilometres west of Durban's Central Business District. The school serves about 950 pupils from the surrounding areas of Clare Estate, Overport and Sydenham. It must be borne in mind that despite its location, there are pupils from as far as Umlazi, Chesterville and Kwa Mashu which are former apartheid townships for a largely African population. The complexity of this project required careful planning of the research design and methodology. The data drawn on here was collected using three different methods, namely, questionnaires; interviews; and classroom observation. The questionnaire was designed in a way to draw on the pupils' 'lived experiences' in order to understand how they positioned themselves with regard to the shaping of their ' masculinities ' and 'femininities'; and, to discover the kind of gender identities they were developing in response to the text. The primary aim of the interview phase was to solicit the pupils' attitudes towards their teacher's pedagogical approach to the text. It also involved participants reflecting on their own lives. The former was an attempt to understand how their sets of learned gendered experiences (which they brought with them into the classroom) interacted with the teaching-learning context. Because of my commitment to qualitative research, the data obtained was entirely the participants' personal reflections. The theoretical considerations underpinning the study are based on perspectives of gender and education with particular reference to the role that school textbooks play in the construction and articulation of gendered subjectivities and classroom interaction investigations of conversation (talk). Interwoven with the overall theoretical discussion will be post-structuralist feminist perspectives on language and gender. This contextual approach project demonstrated that the gendered meanings which were generated during the English lesson were deeply embedded in the variety of lived experiences and discourses that the pupils drew on to make sense of their lives. In other words, it showed how the text, pedagogical practices, and lived experiences interacted in shaping the pupils' gendered identities. Through the analysis of classroom interactional processes, it also became evident that although the teacher played a considerable role in influencing the pupils, they were not without agency as some of them were capable of resisting the ideologically hegemonic patterns and even influencing the teacher. Although constrained by some limitations, this research project has implications both for further research on discourse patterns in the classroom and for strategies to foster gender sensitive education. I believe that I have identified an important area in South African education which should be explored in much greater depth. Whatever the outcomes are of such comprehensive qualitative research, the urgency is still the same - to sensitise teachers to practices which subtly implicate gender differentiation in their operation within a classroom. It is hoped that teachers cognisant of the processes illuminated in the study may translate these insights into concrete action for change through collective efforts.
Rural women's protests in Natal in 1959.
(1999) Pillay, Radhie.; Hughes, Heather.
In the 1950s, apartheid policies in the Natal countryside served to oppress the majority of African women more than they had ever been before. Yet ironically, it was their being 'left behind' by the system of migrant labour that goaded them into taking overt action against their condition in 1959. The aim of this mini-dissertation is to trace and explain their struggle against "grand apartheid". These women were a force to be reckoned with, and the government of the day felt temporarily threatened by their actions. This study vehemently rejects the misconception that the African women of the rural areas of Natal were docile, slave-like individuals, who placidly accepted their position. The protest marches in the 1950's, more especially 1959, proved African women to be strong-willed and determined to succeed against all odds. These women emerge as anything but placid and docile. History has shown us that women's oppression is not simply a matter of equal rights or discrimination under the law. African women struggled to be recognised as human beings, no different from any other race. In the early 1950's African women, in most parts of South Africa, became more politically active. They played a significant role in the 1952 Defiance Campaign. Shortly after that a "Women's Charter" was adopted. It sought the liberation of all people, the common society of men and women. It took women like Lilian Ngoyi, who made history in 1956 by leading 20 000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in protest against passes for women, to ignite rolling mass action in the various Provinces. This thesis tells of the contemporary struggle of African women in the 1950's, more especially 1959, in Natal. This is a tribute to the countless African women who have made courageous sacrifices in order for change. It is through their radical and somewhat aggressive stance that we have a lot to be thankful for today. We must be mindful of the fact that in the Apartheid era the law itself was used to oppress people. In our new-found democracy it is pleasing to note that the law is somewhat gender sensitive, so that it does not discriminate against men or women in its application. Many of us who research African women are mere observers, who digest what we read, hear and see. Many of us do not understand the complex African way of life. We tend to employ Eurocentric theories and assumptions, which instead serve as a handicap. Thus the African woman is seen as a victim of the African male, and of traditional customs and practices. We fail to see that African women did from the outset, have varying degrees of economic independence, and that colonialism was responsible for depriving African women of their political as well as economic status. These women can claim a degree of triumph in that in the wake of the mass protest action, it took the government years to implement its policy of passes for women.
A gendered approach to media narratives within the English classroom at secondary school level
(1999) Singh, Akashnie.; Prinsloo, Jeanne.
No abstract available.
Gendering politeness : speech and act among Zulu second language speakers of the English language on the Durban campus.
(2000) Ige, Busayo Olamide.; De Kadt, Elizabeth.
In this thesis. I have moved away from the general question of 'How do women and men behave linguistically?, (Sing and Bergvall. 1996:19) and have turned to investigate in particular how the speech act of apologies contributes to the production of people as 'women and men' (Sing and Bergvall, 1996:19). In other words, the investigation focuses on the effect of politeness strategies on the construction of gender identities. Using poststrucluralist feminist theory as developed primarily by Weedon (1987), this thesis investigates the politeness strategies employed by some Zulu students at the University of Natal, Durban, in their English-medium interactions with African international students. The speech act of apologies is the area of language investigated, with data being collected primarily by means of role-plays and focus groups. The focus of the analysis is limited to the performance of apologies towards non-Zulus by 12 Zulu male and female students. To this end, the various strategies employed by the respondents were analysed according to the framework developed by Holmes (1989, 1995). In addition, information gathered in the focus groups revealed to what extent politeness strategies are still being transferred from Zulu to English. The strategies employed by these men and women are considered as revealing some of the ways by which politeness contributes to the construction of gender identities, in the University context. On the basis of this limited sample, it is argued that traditional Zulu male masculinity, while still dominant, is now being contested in the University context by some students favouring a less tradition-oriented identity. The strategies employed by the female respondents, on the other hand, suggest that Zulu women students may be beginning to reject traditional Zulu femininity in favour of more westernized identities.
A feminist analysis of the 1996 South African population census with specific focus on the questions pertaining to the household : implications for development policy and practice.
(2001) Khan, Zohra.; Burns, Catherine E.
This study analyses the 1996 South African population census from a feminist perspective by focusing on the questions pertaining to the household. It considers the issue of gender power relations operating at the level of the household and challenges the underlying patriarchal ideology embedded in the census itself. The study into households is situated within the context of current development discourse and practice, and is premised on the role of the census as a key national resource providing information on all sectors of society. Individual structured interviews were carried out with members of the census task team who provided valuable insight into the process of census making. Interviews with academics and activists working on gender issues were also conducted. A semi-structured focus group discussion was conducted with five women living in the Molweni district in KwaZulu-Natal in August 1998 to gather information on productive, reproductive and community managing work and activities. The study makes an argument about the importance of including unpaid reproductive work in our national statistics. The census questionnaire is analysed and a few adjustments are recommended that may allow for the inclusion of unpaid, reproductive labour in the national statistical system.
An assessment of multiple survival strategies employed by rural women : the case of Kwa-Sondela community.
(2002) Buthelezi, Bruce.; Lutchmiah, Johnny Soobramoney.
Poverty has been an issue in South Africa for quite a long time. For as long as the "poor is with us", this issue will need to be addressed. A whole range of issues such as severe unemployment, illiteracy, drought and other natural disasters fuel poverty, gender inequality, unequal distribution of wealth, etcetera. From the very outset, three stages have emerged in relation to dealing with those affected by poverty. 1. What can we do for the poor? 2. What can we do about the poor? 3. What can we do with the poor? The trend is presently at a stage where something is being done together with the poor communities in order to alleviate their poverty condition. The aim of this study is to look at the present stage in the lives of the poor by way of tackling issues from alongside their own perspective. This is done by examining the survival strategies used by poor rural women in order to provide for their families / households. At the end of the day, the findings of this study will suggest means and ways of helping the poor rural women.
The gendered construction of mourning and cleansing rites of widowhood amongst the Zulu speaking people of Ndwedwe community, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2003) Daber, Benedicta N.; Magwaza, Thenjiwe S. C.
The gendered construction of mourning and cleansing rites of widowhood was studied amongst the Zulu community of Ndwedwe, 70 kilometres north of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. These cultural rites were investigated through in-depth interviews with six widowers and twelve widows. Respondents were asked about their experiences and perceptions regarding their compliance to the two rites. An analysis of these experiences, which were translated and transcribed into English, was carried out, using studies from other cultures internationally and locally as reference point, for the study. It was revealed that mourning rites, which follow death of a spouse can be stressful for both genders and must be observed strictly by the use of black or any mourning dress. The period of mourning is characterised by isolation and stigmatisation especially for the widows. Cleansing is a symbolic act that purifies all members of the household from defilement by death. This is done for all relatives following burial but a widow remains impure not less than one year of 'successful' mourning in most cases, before she is cleansed and is then absolved into society's normal life. This study has revealed that mourning and cleansing rites have psychological and physical health implications for both genders but with more negative impacts on widows than widowers.
Socio-cultural constructions of gender roles and psychological wellbeing in farm-families of Ogun-state, Nigeria : exploring the complexities.
(2003) Sokoya, Grace Oluseyi.; Muthukrishna, Anbanithi.; Collings, Steven John.
The study set out to explore the complexities of the socio-cultural constructions of gender roles and psychological wellbeing in farm-families of Ogun state Nigeria. The intention of the study was to gain insight and understanding of the farmers' life experiences since farm-families are gendered institutions with peculiar needs, problems and aspirations. The study was motivated by a dearth of research on the constructions and determinants of psychological wellbeing and gender roles in farm-families. This thesis is therefore an attempt to fill the identified gap in knowledge, by generating empirical data on the socio-cultural constructions of psychological wellbeing and gender roles in farm-families. The thesis is essentially interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from and contributing to the bodies of knowledge in gender-based research, social psychology, family studies, developmental research, and agricultural extension. The inclusion of men's and women's views and perceptions, as opposed to a polarized view of men exclusively as the oppressors and perpetrators of female subordination is a poststructural feminist approach toward de-emphasizing gender dichotomies. In addition, the incorporation of children's perspectivesis due to recognition of family factors as determinants of children's gender identity construction, life outcomes, and the psychological wellbeing of the entire family. Research participants included forty adults (17 men and 23 women) and thirty-one children (17 boys and 14 girls), drawn from five farming communities in Ogun state Nigeria. These include: Kango, Ogijan, Boodo-Sanyaolu, Obafemi, and Ilewo-Orile. Adopting a qualitative research methodology, multiple methods of data collection were employed. These include life history methodology, in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, and interactive observation techniques. Although 'psychological wellbeing' is a difficult construct to define because of its complexity and high subjectivity, adopting the social representations' framework, the constructions,· meanings and determinants of psychological wellbeing and gender roles were allowed to emerge from the participants, within their peculiar socio-historical and cultural contexts. Findings reveal that the constructions of gender identity and gender roles in farm-families are the foundations of the internalization of gender ideals, socio-cultural constructions, psychological wellbeing and coping strategies. Children then grow up to become part of the society and continue the trans-generational perpetuation of gender ideals and reinforcement of gender stereotypes, and these have several implications for the psychological wellbeing of entire farm-family members. The problems of women-subordination vis-a-vis male-domination, therefore, have their roots in the socio-cultural constructions of gender, gender roles, and their ideological representations. Research outcomes thus provide basis for the development of sustainable culture-specific feminist strategies, which address the origins and foundations of gender stereotypes, as well as gender-sensitive and gender-specific interventions for the enhancement of farm-families' psychological wellbeing. The adoption of Yoruba terminology in the constructions of psychological wellbeing and related concepts in the thesis is the beginning of an innovative research process for inventing contextually meaningful and relevant Yoruba terminology for previously Western-based concepts. In this thesis for example, psychological wellbeing is construed as - ilera-okan, alafiaokan, ibale-okan, ilera pipe t 'okan-t 'ara; while stress and emotional disturbance are construed as - aibale-okan, iporuuru ati pakaleke okan. This is a unique contribution to knowledge.
An analysis of the nature and effects of sexual harassment on secondary schoolgirls in South Africa : a case study of four co- educational schools in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2003) Subedar, Munira.; Burns, Catherine E.
This study investigates the nature and extent of sexual harassment of girls in four coeducational secondary schools in Pietermaritzburg. It focuses on how boys sexually harass girls; how it manifests itself; the way it is perceived by the girls and the language they use to describe it; the strategies they use to deal with it; and the effects the behaviour has on their schooling. School policies and procedures in dealing with sexual harassment, or lack thereof, will also be analysed and recommendations made for policies and strategies for educators and learners. The study locates sexual harassment as a form of gender-based violence against females and asserts that all the incidents of sexual violence, both in the public and private spheres, both overt and subtle forms, are linked because all these incidents are a manifestation of gender power inequalities. Sexual harassment at school is only part of the continuum of violence that females constantly face. The concept of a continuum enables the exploration of experiences that are subtle and covert, which are not easy to recognise, but are a key issue to be addressed if the problem of genderbased violence is to be tackled effectively. The methods used in this research process are reflective of the ethnographic case study and acknowledge the complexities of the issues involved in the research problem. Thus, it develops a complementary relationship between qualitative and quantitative components so that tools necessary for deep exploration can be provided and the perspectives of the central subjects of the study can be brought in. In-depth group interviews were conducted with at least 10 girls, from diverse backgrounds aged between 16 to 18 years, from each school and questionnaires were administered to 150 girls from the four schools to investigate the nature and effects of sexual harassment on them. School managers were interviewed about school policy on sexual harassment and procedures that have been adopted to address the problem. An analysis of the data reveals that despite the pervasiveness of the problem, it is surrounded by silence because the girls have difficulties in recognising and articulating their experiences of sexual harassment. It shows that the sexually harassing behaviour is rationalised as 'normal' whilst at the same time controlling the girls educationally, socially and emotionally Further, it shows that when gender intersects with race and class it can produce greater negative treatment for black, working class girls. The perpetrators, who are mostly males, act with impunity because the power relations inherent in the schools are gendered and, therefore, the schools are complicit in producing the inequalities in gender and power relationships that underpin sexual harassment.
A gendered study of contraceptive use among students at the University of Natal Pietermaritzburg campus.
(2003) Oyedeji, Oluwaseun Adeola.; Cassimjee, Rabia.
This thesis explores issues of contraceptive use among members of both male and female genders. Although research has been conducted on teenage pregnancy, abortion, sexual behaviour, and contraceptive use with particular focus on the female population, a gendered study has yet to be conducted on contraceptive use among young adults, male and female that have just gone beyond their teenage years and are on the verge of entering into adulthood. Hence, this thesis reviews contraceptive use among young adult students (aged 18-25) of both genders using quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interviews) research methods. This study was based at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. A total of forty students (n=40) were sampled using the convenience sampling method. Twenty of the students were male, while the remaining twenty were female. The thesis adopts a theoretical approach that attempts to conceptualise the influence of patriarchy on contraceptive use among members of the female gender. Also, societal reproductive role fixing is contemplated by examining the ways through which societal construction of male and female roles and stereotypes affect contraceptive use among members of both genders. In this study, it is affirmed that societal attitudes, and misconceptions about contraceptive use play an important role in young adult, male, and female contraceptive use and attitudes towards. Evidence of this, from the survey and interviews conducted in the study, is the high use of the condom, amongst both male and female students compared with other available methods. Among female students, the use of the pill is at twenty-three percent (n=6), use of injectable methods is at thirty-one percent (n=8), while the use of the condom is considerably higher at fortysix percent (n=12). While among male students, the use of the withdrawal method is at nineteen percent (n=4), while condom use is at eighty-one percent (n=17). Both male and female reported that they were satisfied with their choice and use of contraception. The response rate for satisfied female clients was eighty-five percent (n=22), while among male clients, it was seventy-six percent (n=16). The high use of the (male) condom among female students was highly attributed to personal convenience and comfort with condom use as unmarried young women. While with both genders, with the male especially, it was attributed to the function of the condom as a safe sex method, rather than for pregnancy prevention Gender is, and will remain a relevant issue in sexual/reproductive health matters globally. This work represents a contribution to knowledge in this field.
Breast feeding patterns of HIV positive mothers in the context of mother to child transmission in Kwazulu-Natal.
(2003) Ndaba, Thoko Cecilia.; Burns, Catherine E.
The focus of this thesis is to look at breastfeeding patterns in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa in relation to HIV infected women, who as mothers may, transmit the HIV virus to their child. It seeks to understand in depth the social context of HIV and AIDS in the time of the AIDS pandemic looking at gender culture; powerlessness of women in households in society. These dynamics occurring at such a crucial time and moment of this spiral explosive epidemic reflects a more broader concerted effort to understand and find solutions. This study emerges from a larger research project conducted under the auspices of the Medical Research Council, which was examining the transmission rates of HIV infection in babies born to HIV positive woman for a period of six months, on breastfeeding having given these women nevirapine as well. The study was HIVNET 023, which looked at the use of NVP that was given to breastfed infants in order to reduce MTCT of HIV, Phase 1,11 Study. This work was conducted from 2000 and completed in 2001. This thesis seeks to further explore challenges experienced by these breastfeeding HIV positive women in the public domain (i.e. in the clinics, hospitals as well as in communities), and how these challenges impinge in their daily lives as women. Issues of gender inequality, the social context of culture in the midst of a health crisis, and suggestions for change in the context of clinical practice, make up the bulk of the thesis argument.
Gender imbalances in the school governance : a case study of two Umbumbulu high schools.
(2003) Ngcongo, Ndondo Mildred.; Magwaza, Thenjiwe S. C.
'Gender imbalances in the school governance' was studied in two schools and amongst community members of Umbumbulu, a rural area, and 60 kilometres from Durban in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Data collected from the study reveal that governance structures of the studied schools are male dominated with men holding highest positions and women in middle or lower ranks. The status quo in the two schools is found to be reflective of the Umbumbulu community's cultural beliefs. There are entrenched beliefs regarding which gender should hold management positions, rather than what constitutes and is required for good leadership. The study found that although there are other factors that lead to gender imbalances, the overriding one is the fact that the culture and beliefs that the community subscribes to is highly gendered and stereotypical. In turn policies formulated e.g. selection and hiring policies reflect a low regard for women and practically discriminate against them. It is found that the trend leads to problems, which affect the entire schooling system. Most respondents are aware of the imbalances and are not content with them but do not commit in bringing about change.

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