Gender power and gender based violence: learners’ narratives of gender violence in an Umlazi high school in KwaZulu-Natal.

Abstract

[ENGLISH ABSTRACT] This is a qualitative study that is located within the interpretivist paradigm. This study explores Goodness High School (pseudonym) learners‘ understandings of gender power and gender based violence through their narratives. Goodness High is located in Umlazi Township, KwaZulu-Natal. The gender relational theory which draws on gender power as an analytical lens was used to analyse participants‘ understandings, exposure to and experiences of gender based violence and the role which is played by social processes that promote gender based violence and power relations in school. The structured questionnaires and semi-structured individual interviews were instrumental in the study and it aimed to generate relevant data from the participants. Convenient and purposive sampling was used as a means to identify and select participants. The findings from the study revealed that high school boys and girls do not fully comprehend gender based violence and society often normalises acts of violence against girls and women as well as non-normative sexualities. It is clear that community violence seeps into and is reproduced in the school milieu. Society has double standards when it comes to violence perpetuated by men and women or boys and girls as society refuses to see men as anything but perpetrators of gender based violence and views women as the victims of gender based violence. However, as the study shows, violence can also be perpetrated by females. The study also revealed that patriarchy plays a huge role in normalising violence against girls. The study found that the dress code of girls was used to justify the violence perpetrated against them and that the perpetrators of violence mainly use strength and intimidation as a means of keeping their victims from reporting gender based violence. The data also revealed that teachers play a role in encouraging gender based violence through the administration of corporal punishment in school as well verbally abusing learners. The study recommends educating learners about gender based violence as well as including sexual violence in the curriculum. The study also recommends awareness campaigns in society to educate all individuals of a society in order to eradicate gender based violence in schools. The study also recommends training teachers so they would be able to help learners who have experienced gender based violence in schools, and lastly it advocates for surveillance mechanisms to be installed in and around the school so no incidents of gender based violence can be left unattended, or so they can be dealt with accordingly. Key words: Gender based violence, gender power, hegemonic masculinity, femininity, patriarchy, social constructs. [ZULU ABSTRACT] Lolu ucwaningo lubuka kakhulu izifundo ezitholakala kwiparadayimu yokutolika. Lolu cwaningo luhlola ukuqonda kwabafundi baseGoodness High School (ipseudonym) kwamandla obulili kanye nodlame olususelwa ebulilini ngokulandisa kwabo. IGoodness High isikole samabanga aphezulu elokishini laseMlazi, KwaZulu-Natali. Injulalwazi yombono ohlobene nobulili isebenzisa amandla ebulilini njenge nhlolo yokuhlaziya , iphinde isetshenziselwa ukuhlaziya ukuqonda kwabahlanganyeli bocwaningo mayelana ngokuhlolwa ngakho maqondana nodlame olususelwa ebulinini kanye nendima edlalwa izinqubo zenhlalo ezikhuthaza udlame olususelwa ebulilini kanye nobudlelwano bamandla esikoleni. Amaphepha emibuzo ahlelekile kanye nenhlolokhono yomuntu ngamunye ezibekiwe kwaba neqhaza ocwaningweni, nokuhloswe ukukhipha imininingwane efanele ngalo, evela kubahlanganyeli. Isampula elula yenhloso isetshenziswe njengendlela yokukhetha abahlanganyeli. Okutholakele kulolu cwaningo kuveze ukuthi abafana namantombazane asezikoleni eziphakeme ababuqondi ngokuphelele ubudlova obukhungathe ubulili futhi umphakathi awubasekeli ngendlela efanele abantu abahlukunyezwayo. Uvumela izenzo zodlame olubhekiswe kumantombazaneni nabesifazane kanye nezobulili ezingekho emthethweni. Kuyacaca ukuthi udlame lomphakathi luyangena futhi luphindwe lubhebhetheke kakhulu emaklasini. Umphakathi unezindingo eziphindwe kabili uma kukhulunywa ngodlame olwenziwa ngabesilisa nabesifazane / abafana namantombazane njengoba umphakathi wenqaba ukubona amadoda njenganoma yini ngaphandle kwalokhu abahlukumeza udlame olusekelwe ebulilini futhi babheka abesifazane njengezisulu zodlame olusekelwe ebulilini. Ucwangingo luphinde lwaveza ukuthi udlame lungaphinde lubhethekiswe nangabesifazane. Lolu cwaningo luveze nokuthi inzalamizi idlala indima enkulu ekulweni nobudlova kumantombazane. Lolu cwaningo luthole ukuthi indlela yokugqoka yamantombazane isetshenziswa njengezindlela zokucacisa udlame olubhekiswe kubo nokuthi izimbangi zodlame zisebenzisa amandla nokusabisa njengendlela yokugcina izisulu zabo zingabiki udlame olususelwe ebulilini. Iminininigo yocwaningo iveze ukuthi othisha nabo badlala indima ekugqugqulezeni udlame lobulili ngokusebenzisa isijeziso senduku esikoleni kanjalo nokuhlukumeza abafundi. Lolu cwaningo luphakamisa ukuba ukufundisa abafundi ngodlame olususelwa kubulili kanye nokubandakanya nodlame lwezocansi kwikharikhulamu. Lolu cwaningo luphinde futhi luncome imikhankaso yokuqwashisa emphakathini njengendlela yokufundisa bonke abantu bomphakathi njengendlela yokuqeda udlame olususelwa ebulilini ezikoleni. Lolu cwaningo luphinde lincome ukuqeqeshwa kothisha ukuze bakwazi ukusiza abafundi abake babhekana nodlame olususelwa ebulilini ezikoleni futhi ekugcineni lugqugquzela ukuthi kusetshenziswe izindlela zokubhekisisa ezikoleni cishe kuzo zonke izikole ukuze kungabi nezigameko zodlame olubhekiswe kwabesifazane ezingabhekana nazo ngokufanele. Amagama agqamile: Ubudlova obususelwa kobulili, amandla wobulili, ubudoda be-hegemonic, ubufazi, inzalo, izinhlaka zomphakathi