Masculinity and care: narratives of male Foundation Phase teachers in Mpumalanga Province=Ubulisa nokunakekela: izindaba zabesilisa abawothisha bamabanga ayisisekelo esifundazweni saseMpumalanga.
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Date
2022
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Abstract
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.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.