'In the name of honour' : an exploration of the masculine culture of violence in the South African context.
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Date
2006
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Abstract
Research on masculinity has become an area of increasing interest internationally and in South
Africa. Research in South Africa focussing on masculinity and its impact on violence, sexuality
and HIV/Aids has begun to escalate. Researchers and social scientists have come to the
realisation of the need to investigate how men feel about being men in a society in which they
have been dubbed sexist, violent and rapists.
This thesis is an attempt to study the linkages between a culture-of-honour and violence. It does
so by conceptualising culture as 'a set of affordances and constraints that channel the expression
of
coercive means of social control by self and others' (Bond, 2004, p. 62). By examining the
subjective experiences of South African men in relation to concepts of masculinity and pride, it
is hoped to determine whether honour norms generate hypersensitivity to insults and threats to
the reputation of men which encourage men to respond with violence in order to reclaim or save
'face'. This aggression may be directed at other males as well as result in heightened tensions in
heterosexual relationships that lead to violence (Cohen & Nisbett, 1994; Cohen & Vandello,
2003).
A qualitative methodology was adopted for this investigation and semi-structured interviews
were conducted with eight young men from comparable educational backgrounds and differing
cultures. These interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The notion of honour in men's
construction of masculinity was evident and reveals commonalities as well as difference in the
salience of honour constructs. Future studies are proposed to explore in more detail the
relationship between honour and masculinities as well as the role of women in perpetuating
honour norms in society.
Description
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.
Keywords
Men--South Africa--Identity., Masculinity--South Africa., Sex role--South Africa., Masculinity--Social aspects., Honour--South Africa., Violence--South Africa., South Africa--Social life and customs., Theses--Psychology.