Male and female students’ understandings and experiences of gender-based violence on a university campus residence in KwaZulu-Natal.
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Date
2019
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Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT Using qualitative research, this study explored the understandings, exposure to and experiences of gender-based violence of males and femalesat a University of KwaZulu-Natal campus residence. The study is located within the interpretivist paradigm,as it set out to obtain deeper insight and understandings into the pervasivenessof gender-based violence at the campus. The data collection method utilised in the study was semi-structured interviews with 15 male and 15 female participants. Findings were developed through the use of thematic analysis, within an eclectic theoretical framework. The findings are first that gender-based violence is highly prevalent at the university campus residences. Gender-based violence manifests in various ways; these include physical, sexual, emotional, financial and structural abuse. The findings reveal that patriarchy promotes gender oppression in all avenues of society, resulting in male university students using it to justify their use of violence against females and non-conforming genders. The socialisation process of males and females results in unequal power relations in ways that simultaneously rendered males powerful and females powerless. The study found that alcohol and drug parties on campus exacerbated gender-based violence. The study also found that first year students were more vulnerable to transactional sex and rape at campus residences and homophobic violence is rife on campus residences. Lastly, the findings illustrate that the cultural acceptance of gender-based violence serves not only to normalise it but that it also perpetuates this social ill at university campus residences. Based on the findings, the study offers some suggestions and recommendations that all the relevant stakeholders could consider and implement in an effort to reduce gender-based violence at the university residences. These include education, curriculum changes, policy implementation, security upgrades and structured reporting mechanisms. ZULU ABSTRACT Kusetshenziswe indlela yocwaningo lapho kubhekwa khona izimpendulo emibuzweni efana nokuthi kungani nokuthi kwenzeka kanjani ukuthi abantu baziphathe ngendlela abaziphatha ngayo. Lesifundo sibheka kabanzi indlela yokucabanga kwabesilisa nabesifazane, kuphenywa kabanzi izimo ezithinta udlame lwangezobulili ngaphakathi ezindaweni zokuhlala KwiNyuvesi yaKwaZulu Natali. Isifundo singesivulekile njengoba inhloso kungukuthola kabanzi nokuqonda ngokujulile imbangela yokwanda okungaka kodlame lwangokobulili kulesi sikhungo. Ukuqoqwa kolwazi kulesi sifundo kusetshenziswe le evulelekile. Le engalandeli uhla lwemibuzo nezimpendulo. Kuba ingxoxo evulelekile lapho lowo obuzwayo ethola ithuba lokukhuluma akhuleleke ngesihloko. Kuxoxiswane nabesilisa abayishumi nesihlanu ngokunjalo nabesifazane abayishumi nesihlanu (15) ababambe iqhaza kulo lolu cwaningo. Ulwazi olutholakele lucutshungulwe kusetshenziswa indlela yokubheka okufanayo okuqhamukile ocwaningweni naleyo evulelekile engagxilile ohlakeni olulodwa. Imiphumela ebalulekile iveze ukuthi ukuhlukumeza ngokobulili ngaphakathi esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme kudla lubi. Udlame lwangokobulili luvela ngezindlela ezahlukene, ngingabala ukushaya, ngokocansi, ngokomoya, ngokwezezimali nalapho abantu besuke bengeke bakwazi ukuzivikela ngenxa yemithetho ebekiwe. Imiphumela yocwaningo iphinde yaveza ukuthi imithetho ebekwe uhulumeni ukuthi indoda ayiphikiswa kwekushoyo ingenye yezinto ezicindezelayo ngokobulili kuyo yonke imiphakathu, okuholele ekutheni abafundi besilisa emanyuvesi bakusebenzise lokhu ukuzivikela ekuhlukumezeni abesifazane nalabo bolulili obungaqondile kobubodwa. Indlela yokuxhumana phakathi kwabesilisa nabesifazane iholele esimeni sokungalingani ngokwamandla ekuzwaneni ngendlela yokuthi njalo abesilisa yibo abathathwa njengabanamandla kuthi abesifazane bona bangabi yilutho emiphakathini. Ucwaningo luveze ukuthi imicimbi lapho kudliwa utshwala nezidakamizwa ngaphakathi esikhungweni yiko okubhebhethekisa loludlame. Ucwaningo luphinde lwaveza ukuthi abafundi bonyaka wokuqala yibo abahlaseleka kakhulu kwizimo lapho kulalwa nabo ngoba bethenjiswe okuthile bazithole sebedlwenguleka ngaphakathi ezindaweni zokuhlala esikhungweni nezima lapho becwaswa ngokwesimo sobulili babo. Okokugcina, imiphumela yocwaningo iveza kabanzi ukuthi isiko aligcini nje ngokubeka isimo sokuhlukumeza ngokobulili kube into ejwayelekile noma engeyona inkinga kodwa kunaloko iyakuqhubela phambili ngaphakathi ezindaweni zokuhlala kuzo izikhungo. Ngokwalemiphumela etholakele, ucwaningo luveze izincomo ezithile neziphakamiso ukuthi zonke izinhlaka azibambe iqhaza emizamweni yokunciphisa udlame lwangokobulili ngaphakathi ezindaweni zokuhlala esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme. Lokhu kubala umnyango wezemfundo, ukushintshwa kwendlela yokufunda nokufundisa, ukubekwa kwemithetho, ukuthuthukiswa kwezokuphepha nezindlela zokubika loludlame.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.