A sociological study of women’s lived experience of menopause and understanding of menstruation in Mthatha and Makhanda, Eastern Cape Province
- Makalima, Buthanani Vuyokazi
- Authors: Makalima, Buthanani Vuyokazi
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466210 , vital:76707
- Description: This qualitative study explored different sociocultural factors that influence and inform women’s menopause experience and perceptions. The aim of the study was to investigate the cultural beliefs about menstruation and menopause, with a focus on embodied experiences of menopause, as well as the perceptions of the transition from menstruation to menopause. Six in-depth interviews were conducted with women in their 60s and 70s in the Eastern Cape Province: four in-depth interviews were conducted in Umtata/Mthatha and two in Makhanda. Data was analysed thematically. A key study finding is that women’s definition and experience of menopause is significantly influenced by their sociocultural context. This also shapes their experience of menopause, and in the case of the women in this study, menopause is experienced as a natural process. Regardless of the participants’ acceptance of menopause, some women still need to be equipped with information on severe menopause symptoms, what they mean, and how they can be treated or managed. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Makalima, Buthanani Vuyokazi
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466210 , vital:76707
- Description: This qualitative study explored different sociocultural factors that influence and inform women’s menopause experience and perceptions. The aim of the study was to investigate the cultural beliefs about menstruation and menopause, with a focus on embodied experiences of menopause, as well as the perceptions of the transition from menstruation to menopause. Six in-depth interviews were conducted with women in their 60s and 70s in the Eastern Cape Province: four in-depth interviews were conducted in Umtata/Mthatha and two in Makhanda. Data was analysed thematically. A key study finding is that women’s definition and experience of menopause is significantly influenced by their sociocultural context. This also shapes their experience of menopause, and in the case of the women in this study, menopause is experienced as a natural process. Regardless of the participants’ acceptance of menopause, some women still need to be equipped with information on severe menopause symptoms, what they mean, and how they can be treated or managed. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
A study exploring women’s experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of fibroids in Diepsloot, South Africa
- Nwanamidwa, Moreblessing Itani
- Authors: Nwanamidwa, Moreblessing Itani
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466071 , vital:76682
- Description: This study is an exploration of women’s experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of fibroids. It is underpinned by social constructionism and the common-sense model of self- regulation theoretical frameworks. Eight in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with women in Diepsloot, South Africa. The study aimed to include diverse perspectives, thus participants included women who consulted biomedical and cultural practitioners or both. The findings of the research reveal that women’s experiences with fibroids are complex because of the many decisions they have to make about the diagnosis and treatment options and the multiple, and sometimes intersecting temporary disruptions, caused by fibroids. Furthermore, the low levels of awareness about fibroids and the prevailing culture of silence surrounding women’s reproductive health have negative consequences for women living with fibroids as this can result in delayed diagnosis and treatment. The findings highlight the importance of raising awareness about fibroids in communities such as Diepsloot where awareness initiatives are insufficient, given the high prevalence of fibroids among reproductive age black women. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Nwanamidwa, Moreblessing Itani
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466071 , vital:76682
- Description: This study is an exploration of women’s experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of fibroids. It is underpinned by social constructionism and the common-sense model of self- regulation theoretical frameworks. Eight in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with women in Diepsloot, South Africa. The study aimed to include diverse perspectives, thus participants included women who consulted biomedical and cultural practitioners or both. The findings of the research reveal that women’s experiences with fibroids are complex because of the many decisions they have to make about the diagnosis and treatment options and the multiple, and sometimes intersecting temporary disruptions, caused by fibroids. Furthermore, the low levels of awareness about fibroids and the prevailing culture of silence surrounding women’s reproductive health have negative consequences for women living with fibroids as this can result in delayed diagnosis and treatment. The findings highlight the importance of raising awareness about fibroids in communities such as Diepsloot where awareness initiatives are insufficient, given the high prevalence of fibroids among reproductive age black women. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
An analysis of the precarious livelihoods of Zimbabwean migrants in the informal economy in Makhanda, South Africa
- Authors: Nderere, Nompumelelo Agnes
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466262 , vital:76712
- Description: The movement of people across borders is a complex phenomenon that has far-reaching social, political, and economic implications. In recent years, Zimbabwean migrants have become increasingly visible in the informal economy across South Africa. Through qualitative data collection methods, this study sought to broaden our understanding of the precarious livelihoods of Zimbabwean migrants working in the informal economy in South Africa. This study examined Zimbabwean migrants in the informal economy in Makhanda, Eastern Cape in South Africa. Underpinned by the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) as the theoretical anchor, this thesis offers a comprehensive examination of not only the challenges but also the opportunities faced and presented to Zimbabwean migrants in the informal economy in Makhanda. The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach was used as a framework to guide the analysis aimed at understanding the precarious livelihoods of Zimbabwean migrants working in the informal economy in terms of the vulnerability context they find themselves in, the assets they use, the organizations or institutions that affect their activities and the results they get out of their efforts in the informal economy. Data was collected from a sample of 10 participants, consisting of 4 self-employed participants and 6 “employed” in the informal economy. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, this thesis examined the strategies that the migrants adopt to cope with the challenges they face and the impact that these strategies have on their livelihoods. The findings suggest that working in the informal economy evolves as a sustainable livelihood strategy, which depends on external support for it to flourish. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Nderere, Nompumelelo Agnes
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466262 , vital:76712
- Description: The movement of people across borders is a complex phenomenon that has far-reaching social, political, and economic implications. In recent years, Zimbabwean migrants have become increasingly visible in the informal economy across South Africa. Through qualitative data collection methods, this study sought to broaden our understanding of the precarious livelihoods of Zimbabwean migrants working in the informal economy in South Africa. This study examined Zimbabwean migrants in the informal economy in Makhanda, Eastern Cape in South Africa. Underpinned by the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) as the theoretical anchor, this thesis offers a comprehensive examination of not only the challenges but also the opportunities faced and presented to Zimbabwean migrants in the informal economy in Makhanda. The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach was used as a framework to guide the analysis aimed at understanding the precarious livelihoods of Zimbabwean migrants working in the informal economy in terms of the vulnerability context they find themselves in, the assets they use, the organizations or institutions that affect their activities and the results they get out of their efforts in the informal economy. Data was collected from a sample of 10 participants, consisting of 4 self-employed participants and 6 “employed” in the informal economy. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, this thesis examined the strategies that the migrants adopt to cope with the challenges they face and the impact that these strategies have on their livelihoods. The findings suggest that working in the informal economy evolves as a sustainable livelihood strategy, which depends on external support for it to flourish. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
An exploration of the influence of gender dynamics on the experience of NGO staff members in Makhanda
- Authors: Hove, Taguma Florence
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Gender inequality , Non-governmental organizations South Africa Makhanda , Black feminism , Corporate culture South Africa Makhanda , Gender stereotype , Sex role
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466139 , vital:76700
- Description: This research explores gender dynamics within non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and examines whether, and to what extent women in the NGO sector perceive gender dynamics as playing instrumental roles in NGO organisational processes and structures. In conjunction with this, this research aims to explore the relationship between gender stereotypes and career progression. Black feminism and postcolonial feminism will be implemented as theoretical frameworks to explore how social or gender, age, race, and class interact with the organisational process of NGOs. The concepts of intersectionality and subjectivity are useful in understanding how interactions between race, class, and gender play a role in the subjective experiences of women of all backgrounds in post-apartheid South Africa. A postcolonial feminist approach focuses on the representation of African women, and allows an exploration of the knowledge of South African women within NGOs that will provide more perspectives to organisational studies. Traditional perspectives of gender stereotypes are widespread, but several respondents are indifferent to gender stereotypes while some of them feel that they are non-existent. The findings indicate that gender stereotypes continue to exist with forward movements in social progress, where progress might be stalled because of ingrained patriarchal norms, making it difficult to eradicate gender inequality. The findings from the research also suggest that there are tensions and contradictions involved when it comes to how female NGO staff members perceive gender discrimination, providing nuance to existing research. This research acknowledges the period of transition that society is in and recognises how complexities emerge. The findings capture the present state of gender identity, and applying an intersectional approach has indicated that other factors such as race, ethnicity and age take precedence. The research also recognises the importance of tracking and responding to changing societal attitudes in times of transition. Finally, the research also contributes to a broader understanding of the perceptions of gender identity and equality and ensures that discussions on patriarchy do not depend on established discussions that present reality in a stark way that does not leave space for nuance. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Hove, Taguma Florence
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Gender inequality , Non-governmental organizations South Africa Makhanda , Black feminism , Corporate culture South Africa Makhanda , Gender stereotype , Sex role
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466139 , vital:76700
- Description: This research explores gender dynamics within non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and examines whether, and to what extent women in the NGO sector perceive gender dynamics as playing instrumental roles in NGO organisational processes and structures. In conjunction with this, this research aims to explore the relationship between gender stereotypes and career progression. Black feminism and postcolonial feminism will be implemented as theoretical frameworks to explore how social or gender, age, race, and class interact with the organisational process of NGOs. The concepts of intersectionality and subjectivity are useful in understanding how interactions between race, class, and gender play a role in the subjective experiences of women of all backgrounds in post-apartheid South Africa. A postcolonial feminist approach focuses on the representation of African women, and allows an exploration of the knowledge of South African women within NGOs that will provide more perspectives to organisational studies. Traditional perspectives of gender stereotypes are widespread, but several respondents are indifferent to gender stereotypes while some of them feel that they are non-existent. The findings indicate that gender stereotypes continue to exist with forward movements in social progress, where progress might be stalled because of ingrained patriarchal norms, making it difficult to eradicate gender inequality. The findings from the research also suggest that there are tensions and contradictions involved when it comes to how female NGO staff members perceive gender discrimination, providing nuance to existing research. This research acknowledges the period of transition that society is in and recognises how complexities emerge. The findings capture the present state of gender identity, and applying an intersectional approach has indicated that other factors such as race, ethnicity and age take precedence. The research also recognises the importance of tracking and responding to changing societal attitudes in times of transition. Finally, the research also contributes to a broader understanding of the perceptions of gender identity and equality and ensures that discussions on patriarchy do not depend on established discussions that present reality in a stark way that does not leave space for nuance. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
An investigation of the knowledge of and attitudes towards cervical cancer among female students at Rhodes University
- Authors: Pila, Anastacia Mosima
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466267 , vital:76713
- Description: South African and African studies on the knowledge of cervical cancer show that there is generally a limited understanding and knowledge of cervical cancer among women. It is for this reason that this qualitative study examines the knowledge of and attitudes towards cervical cancer among female students at Rhodes University, with the aim of determining whether or not this specific group of women (young and educated) has a better understanding and knowledge of cervical cancer. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with ten female RU students, and two members of staff at RU campus. Using thematic analysis, the study found that there is also a lack of understanding and knowledge of cervical cancer among the participants. Participants were mostly unaware of its causes, preventative methods, screening methods, and they did not know any cervical cancer-based organisations or initiatives in their communities. The two RU members of staff participants confirmed the latter as they stated that the Rhodes University First Thing’s First is the only organisation in Makhanda that deals with cervical cancer awareness and screening. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Pila, Anastacia Mosima
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466267 , vital:76713
- Description: South African and African studies on the knowledge of cervical cancer show that there is generally a limited understanding and knowledge of cervical cancer among women. It is for this reason that this qualitative study examines the knowledge of and attitudes towards cervical cancer among female students at Rhodes University, with the aim of determining whether or not this specific group of women (young and educated) has a better understanding and knowledge of cervical cancer. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with ten female RU students, and two members of staff at RU campus. Using thematic analysis, the study found that there is also a lack of understanding and knowledge of cervical cancer among the participants. Participants were mostly unaware of its causes, preventative methods, screening methods, and they did not know any cervical cancer-based organisations or initiatives in their communities. The two RU members of staff participants confirmed the latter as they stated that the Rhodes University First Thing’s First is the only organisation in Makhanda that deals with cervical cancer awareness and screening. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Disability and sexuality in Makhanda, in the Eastern Cape: a comparative exploration of how black queer physically disabled individuals vs heterosexual physically disabled individuals negotiate their sexualities
- Authors: Mzondo, Sinokuhle
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466240 , vital:76710
- Description: The study aimed to comparatively explore the sexualities of queer disabled people and heterosexual disabled people. The objectives of the study were to comparatively explore their negotiation of romantic and sexual lives, comparatively explore the construction of sexual identities that intersect with disability, and offer an understanding of how both groups experience other people’s perceptions of their identities. The social model of disability and queer theory were used to guide the study. The study was qualitative in nature. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Three queer disabled and five heterosexual disabled individuals were interviewed. Thematic analysis methods were used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed how disability affected the romantic and sexual lives of the participants – both queer and heterosexual; their experience of others’ perceptions of their identities, how they grew up with disabilities, how they adapted to their acquired disabilities, and the construction of their sexual identities. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Mzondo, Sinokuhle
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466240 , vital:76710
- Description: The study aimed to comparatively explore the sexualities of queer disabled people and heterosexual disabled people. The objectives of the study were to comparatively explore their negotiation of romantic and sexual lives, comparatively explore the construction of sexual identities that intersect with disability, and offer an understanding of how both groups experience other people’s perceptions of their identities. The social model of disability and queer theory were used to guide the study. The study was qualitative in nature. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Three queer disabled and five heterosexual disabled individuals were interviewed. Thematic analysis methods were used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed how disability affected the romantic and sexual lives of the participants – both queer and heterosexual; their experience of others’ perceptions of their identities, how they grew up with disabilities, how they adapted to their acquired disabilities, and the construction of their sexual identities. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Exploring the experiences of female nurses on emotional labour and the labour process in the public healthcare sector in eThekwini municipality, KwaZulu-Natal
- Authors: Plaatjies, Kinnie
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466165 , vital:76703
- Description: The dissertation explores female nurses’ experiences of emotional labour and labour process concerning their interactions and relationships with management, doctors, and patients at their workplace. This paper introduces some key concepts of the labour process theory in exploring emotional labour in the workplace contributing to the emotional labour process. Moreover, the study was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal’s public healthcare sector, focusing on female nurses with a working experience of four years and above. The dissertation used a qualitative method, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and a schedule technique to gather data. The research was analysed using thematic analysis and was assessed in line with the objectives of the dissertation. The nursing profession requires positive displays of emotions and characteristics such as smiling, compassion, being kind and caring. The findings show that gender plays a role in the nurse-patient interaction and nurses feel undermined by some professional doctors and respected by student doctors. Whilst the nurse-nurse manager relationship is viewed positively. Further findings show that nurses experience harsh working conditions such as long working hours and low wages that leave them dissatisfied. However, nurses are motivated by their contribution to improving their patients’ health, which keeps them committed to their jobs and produces good performance. In addition, nurses experience managerial control and concerns of power dynamics are revealed but they have also had agency to resist through strikes and individually. Although emotional labour is a requirement in the nursing profession, nurses are found to experience consequences such as stress and anxiety. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Plaatjies, Kinnie
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466165 , vital:76703
- Description: The dissertation explores female nurses’ experiences of emotional labour and labour process concerning their interactions and relationships with management, doctors, and patients at their workplace. This paper introduces some key concepts of the labour process theory in exploring emotional labour in the workplace contributing to the emotional labour process. Moreover, the study was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal’s public healthcare sector, focusing on female nurses with a working experience of four years and above. The dissertation used a qualitative method, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and a schedule technique to gather data. The research was analysed using thematic analysis and was assessed in line with the objectives of the dissertation. The nursing profession requires positive displays of emotions and characteristics such as smiling, compassion, being kind and caring. The findings show that gender plays a role in the nurse-patient interaction and nurses feel undermined by some professional doctors and respected by student doctors. Whilst the nurse-nurse manager relationship is viewed positively. Further findings show that nurses experience harsh working conditions such as long working hours and low wages that leave them dissatisfied. However, nurses are motivated by their contribution to improving their patients’ health, which keeps them committed to their jobs and produces good performance. In addition, nurses experience managerial control and concerns of power dynamics are revealed but they have also had agency to resist through strikes and individually. Although emotional labour is a requirement in the nursing profession, nurses are found to experience consequences such as stress and anxiety. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Music in everyday life: an exploration into the various uses of music among restaurant servers in Makhanda
- Authors: Dlamini, Andile Sakhile
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Symbolic interactionism , Everyday life , Music Social aspects , Music and youth , Music Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466161 , vital:76702
- Description: Inspired by the theory of practice in everyday life and symbolic interactionist perspectives, this thesis offers an account and analysis of findings from a qualitative study. It aimed to investigate the everyday uses of music among restaurant servers (individuals) in Makhanda, on an intra-level of analysis. It explored music’s role in individuals’ lives, and how music as an art is influential in constructing their individuality or self in society. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted through face-to-face collaboration and an audio recording device. It was evident that music plays various roles in people’s lives. Music, seemingly intertwined with everyday life permits individuals to diversly use music, for instance with tackling their emotions and mood, as an accompaniment to tasks or even a symbol that serves subjective meaning to self, essentially transforming the routinized mundanity of every day. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Dlamini, Andile Sakhile
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Symbolic interactionism , Everyday life , Music Social aspects , Music and youth , Music Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466161 , vital:76702
- Description: Inspired by the theory of practice in everyday life and symbolic interactionist perspectives, this thesis offers an account and analysis of findings from a qualitative study. It aimed to investigate the everyday uses of music among restaurant servers (individuals) in Makhanda, on an intra-level of analysis. It explored music’s role in individuals’ lives, and how music as an art is influential in constructing their individuality or self in society. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted through face-to-face collaboration and an audio recording device. It was evident that music plays various roles in people’s lives. Music, seemingly intertwined with everyday life permits individuals to diversly use music, for instance with tackling their emotions and mood, as an accompaniment to tasks or even a symbol that serves subjective meaning to self, essentially transforming the routinized mundanity of every day. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Navigating change: a critical analysis of social media’s role in shaping gender activists’ perspectives
- Authors: Dias, Sasha Elliot
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Social media and society , Sexual minority activists South Africa , Political activism , Gender digital divide , Harassment , Cyberfeminism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466128 , vital:76699
- Description: This research explores the unique challenges and opportunities that social media offers gender activists fighting for equality and social justice. It examines the negative and positive elements of social media, highlighting the ways it can be adopted to build communities, amplify voices, and advance social change in unique ways, but also the ways in which it can adversely contribute to existing power imbalances and inequalities. This research does not concentrate on any specific gender-based movement, but rather aims to understand how gender activists in South Africa have embraced social media in their local activism. The study followed a qualitative approach and collected the data through in-depth semi-structured interviews. It also followed a thematic framework in its analysis of the data collected from the interviews. The study found that, while online gender activism in South Africa faces challenges such as harassment and the digital gender divide, there is still progress in terms of community building and political engagement on social media. The findings suggest that, in spite of the challenges, social media can still be an important tool for advancing gender-based social justice in South Africa. This research made use of Counter-publics and Cyberfeminism as guiding theoretical frameworks. The theory of Counter-publics provides a valuable way of understanding how virtual groups emerge and challenge dominant societal norms and values. Cyberfeminism provides insight into how women have challenged contemporary inequalities through the adoption of technologies such as social media. As sub-components to Cyber-feminism, Intersectionality and Standpoint perspectives were used to understand how activists’ diverse identities and social positions influence their individual forms of activism. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Dias, Sasha Elliot
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Social media and society , Sexual minority activists South Africa , Political activism , Gender digital divide , Harassment , Cyberfeminism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466128 , vital:76699
- Description: This research explores the unique challenges and opportunities that social media offers gender activists fighting for equality and social justice. It examines the negative and positive elements of social media, highlighting the ways it can be adopted to build communities, amplify voices, and advance social change in unique ways, but also the ways in which it can adversely contribute to existing power imbalances and inequalities. This research does not concentrate on any specific gender-based movement, but rather aims to understand how gender activists in South Africa have embraced social media in their local activism. The study followed a qualitative approach and collected the data through in-depth semi-structured interviews. It also followed a thematic framework in its analysis of the data collected from the interviews. The study found that, while online gender activism in South Africa faces challenges such as harassment and the digital gender divide, there is still progress in terms of community building and political engagement on social media. The findings suggest that, in spite of the challenges, social media can still be an important tool for advancing gender-based social justice in South Africa. This research made use of Counter-publics and Cyberfeminism as guiding theoretical frameworks. The theory of Counter-publics provides a valuable way of understanding how virtual groups emerge and challenge dominant societal norms and values. Cyberfeminism provides insight into how women have challenged contemporary inequalities through the adoption of technologies such as social media. As sub-components to Cyber-feminism, Intersectionality and Standpoint perspectives were used to understand how activists’ diverse identities and social positions influence their individual forms of activism. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Platform food delivery: a study on the labour process and emotional labour experienced by gig workers in the Eastern Cape food delivery sector
- Authors: Mutshewa, Taboka Botsang
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466221 , vital:76708
- Description: As central to the gig economy, digital platforms are transforming the character of the modern economy. South Africa has seen the increased use of technology and the integration of technological changes into the labour market and labour process, including via digital platforms. The gig economy has entered a range of economic sectors in South Africa and elsewhere, including the service sector. Examples of digital platforms in this specific sector include Uber and Bolt for transportation, Sweep South for domestic help, and Mr D Food for food delivery. Undoubtedly, by inhibiting and sanctioning movements globally and locally, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the expansion of the gig economy in the service sector, as it restricted walk-in customers. The digital platform mediates the relationship between service sector workers and their clients and between workers and the companies operating the platforms. In this way, these technological platforms act as an ‘extra hand’ by, for example, hiring delivery workers in the first instance and then facilitating the delivery of products to customers. This thesis examines the food delivery sector in the gig economy in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The digital platforms in the food sector allow consumers to place food orders at a restaurant of choice and deliver them to their doorstep in less than an hour, ensuring convenience, reliability and efficiency for restaurants and customers. However, understanding the gig economy involves identifying and unpacking the experiences and perspectives of the gig workers. In doing so, this thesis examines food delivery workers labouring for two different companies (Uber East and Mr D Foods) in two sites (Makhanda and Gqeberha). The main aim is to analyse how the digital platforms restructure the labour process in the gig economy and the emotional labour enacted by the delivery workers. The thesis draws upon labour process and emotional labour theory to pursue this primary aim. Research findings highlight a high level of precariousness and stress amongst food delivery workers as they work under algorithmic systems of labour control marked by surveillance and are constantly required to perform emotionally to maximise income. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Mutshewa, Taboka Botsang
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466221 , vital:76708
- Description: As central to the gig economy, digital platforms are transforming the character of the modern economy. South Africa has seen the increased use of technology and the integration of technological changes into the labour market and labour process, including via digital platforms. The gig economy has entered a range of economic sectors in South Africa and elsewhere, including the service sector. Examples of digital platforms in this specific sector include Uber and Bolt for transportation, Sweep South for domestic help, and Mr D Food for food delivery. Undoubtedly, by inhibiting and sanctioning movements globally and locally, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the expansion of the gig economy in the service sector, as it restricted walk-in customers. The digital platform mediates the relationship between service sector workers and their clients and between workers and the companies operating the platforms. In this way, these technological platforms act as an ‘extra hand’ by, for example, hiring delivery workers in the first instance and then facilitating the delivery of products to customers. This thesis examines the food delivery sector in the gig economy in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The digital platforms in the food sector allow consumers to place food orders at a restaurant of choice and deliver them to their doorstep in less than an hour, ensuring convenience, reliability and efficiency for restaurants and customers. However, understanding the gig economy involves identifying and unpacking the experiences and perspectives of the gig workers. In doing so, this thesis examines food delivery workers labouring for two different companies (Uber East and Mr D Foods) in two sites (Makhanda and Gqeberha). The main aim is to analyse how the digital platforms restructure the labour process in the gig economy and the emotional labour enacted by the delivery workers. The thesis draws upon labour process and emotional labour theory to pursue this primary aim. Research findings highlight a high level of precariousness and stress amongst food delivery workers as they work under algorithmic systems of labour control marked by surveillance and are constantly required to perform emotionally to maximise income. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Protecting and organising the apartheid and post-apartheid precarious municipal workforce: the Cape Town Municipal Workers Association and the South African Municipal Workers Union in Cape Town
- Authors: Mathekga, Jerry Mmanoko
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: African National Congress , COSATU , South African Municipal Workers Union , Apartheid South Africa , Municipal officials and employees South Africa Cape Town , Neoliberalism , Contracting out , Precarious employment
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/467072 , vital:76812 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/467072
- Description: The contemporary, global expansion of precarious employment poses key challenges for unions based on workers in full-time, stable employment (i.e. workers in the so-called “Standard Employment Relationship” – SER). South African unions and federations like the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), have resolved to organise these workers for decades. Most unions have, however done little to put these intentions into effect, even though precarity threatens union survival. A notable exception amongst unions in both the state and private sectors is COSATU’s South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU). SAMWU has a long history of consistently acting to protect and organise precarious workers. This is the puzzle with which this thesis grapples: why has SAMWU been different? This question is examined through a focus on Cape Town, the city in which the union has the deepest roots: its main, immediate predecessor, the Cape Town Municipal Workers Association (CTMWA), was founded in Cape Town in 1918. Answering the question posed above requires examining the record: how has SAMWU – and before it, the CTMWA – protected and organise precarious workers in the municipal sector over time? And further, why did CTMWA and SAMWU act this way, when many others have not? The answers lie in the distinctive character of the organisation’s trade union identity, drawing on Richard Hyman’s work, which moves beyond broad labels (business unionism, political unionism, etc.) and normative prescriptions (what unions should, ideally, do) to develop a nuanced model of what predisposes, and enables, certain union choices, actions, and responses union. The popular power resources approach (PRA) to unions helps map the resources available to unions but cannot explain why unions use power resources in specific ways. The thesis argues that the evolving union identity of the CTMWA and SAMWU predisposed it to organising workers, and that this evolving identity has been shaped by the distinctive features of the Western Cape and its political traditions, a long history of multiple municipal labour markets in Cape Town, and the specificities of that city, including the black African / Coloured division, its independent left traditions, the relative weakness of the COSATU’s allies, the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), in local government, and the peculiar dynamics of municipal restructuring. This thesis draws on both labour history and industrial Sociology, arguing that a dialogue between these two disciplines enriches labour studies. This thesis draws on a wide range of primary sources, both historical and contemporary, examines historical processes and change, and engages in a dialogue between historical and sociological work. It argues for the need to historicise precarity, avoiding a “year zero” approach that treats it as a novel challenge for unions, and as reducible to neo-liberalism. It insists that labour responses are shaped by place and time, and so, for the need to balance macro-level discussions of trends with local specificities. It argues that notion of a sharp rupture between the surging new wave of unionism that started in South Africa in 1973, from which COSATU emerged, and the older traditions of registered unionism has been overstated. More attention needs to be paid to the imprint of the more radical registered unions, like CTMWA, on the new unionism. Rejecting pessimistic accounts that see unions as doomed by precarity, it draws attention to long histories of relatively successful and sustained union responses, like those of CTMWA/ SAMWU. However, it questions prescriptive approaches that centre on what unions should do, highlighting how evolving union identity shapes what unions can do. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Mathekga, Jerry Mmanoko
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: African National Congress , COSATU , South African Municipal Workers Union , Apartheid South Africa , Municipal officials and employees South Africa Cape Town , Neoliberalism , Contracting out , Precarious employment
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/467072 , vital:76812 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/467072
- Description: The contemporary, global expansion of precarious employment poses key challenges for unions based on workers in full-time, stable employment (i.e. workers in the so-called “Standard Employment Relationship” – SER). South African unions and federations like the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), have resolved to organise these workers for decades. Most unions have, however done little to put these intentions into effect, even though precarity threatens union survival. A notable exception amongst unions in both the state and private sectors is COSATU’s South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU). SAMWU has a long history of consistently acting to protect and organise precarious workers. This is the puzzle with which this thesis grapples: why has SAMWU been different? This question is examined through a focus on Cape Town, the city in which the union has the deepest roots: its main, immediate predecessor, the Cape Town Municipal Workers Association (CTMWA), was founded in Cape Town in 1918. Answering the question posed above requires examining the record: how has SAMWU – and before it, the CTMWA – protected and organise precarious workers in the municipal sector over time? And further, why did CTMWA and SAMWU act this way, when many others have not? The answers lie in the distinctive character of the organisation’s trade union identity, drawing on Richard Hyman’s work, which moves beyond broad labels (business unionism, political unionism, etc.) and normative prescriptions (what unions should, ideally, do) to develop a nuanced model of what predisposes, and enables, certain union choices, actions, and responses union. The popular power resources approach (PRA) to unions helps map the resources available to unions but cannot explain why unions use power resources in specific ways. The thesis argues that the evolving union identity of the CTMWA and SAMWU predisposed it to organising workers, and that this evolving identity has been shaped by the distinctive features of the Western Cape and its political traditions, a long history of multiple municipal labour markets in Cape Town, and the specificities of that city, including the black African / Coloured division, its independent left traditions, the relative weakness of the COSATU’s allies, the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), in local government, and the peculiar dynamics of municipal restructuring. This thesis draws on both labour history and industrial Sociology, arguing that a dialogue between these two disciplines enriches labour studies. This thesis draws on a wide range of primary sources, both historical and contemporary, examines historical processes and change, and engages in a dialogue between historical and sociological work. It argues for the need to historicise precarity, avoiding a “year zero” approach that treats it as a novel challenge for unions, and as reducible to neo-liberalism. It insists that labour responses are shaped by place and time, and so, for the need to balance macro-level discussions of trends with local specificities. It argues that notion of a sharp rupture between the surging new wave of unionism that started in South Africa in 1973, from which COSATU emerged, and the older traditions of registered unionism has been overstated. More attention needs to be paid to the imprint of the more radical registered unions, like CTMWA, on the new unionism. Rejecting pessimistic accounts that see unions as doomed by precarity, it draws attention to long histories of relatively successful and sustained union responses, like those of CTMWA/ SAMWU. However, it questions prescriptive approaches that centre on what unions should do, highlighting how evolving union identity shapes what unions can do. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Students' perception of pre-exposure prophylaxis as a prevention strategy for reducing HIV/AIDS incidences at Rhodes University
- Authors: Lepelesana, Mamorena Sylvia
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466150 , vital:76701
- Description: South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS compared to the rest of the world, with young people most at risk. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in key populations at a higher risk of exposure to HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS pandemic remains a pressing issue among higher education institutions, with a need for a comprehensive understanding of barriers and facilitators associated with the use of PrEP. The Higher Education AIDS (HEAIDS) plays a pivotal role in the mitigation of the spread of HIV/AIDS in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In this study, Rhodes University serves as a focal point for exploring PrEP implementation and acceptance. This qualitative study examines Rhodes University students' PrEP knowledge, perception, practice, and roll-out preference. More evidence is required to measure progress among students. A study was conducted involving sixteen (16) in-depth semi-structured interviews with students and health care workers, as well as a focus group consisting of three (3) students aged between 20-60 years. This study used the Socio-Ecological Model and Health Belief Model as theoretical frameworks. Participants in the study identified both the barriers and the facilitators to the use of PrEP. The findings show that there is a lack of knowledge and low perception among students about PrEP. The study found that lack of knowledge was the source of the stigma and misconception about PrEP. Most participants expressed the need for more information to differentiate between the ARVs in PrEP and the ARV medication for HIV-positive people. However, they further expressed a willingness to embrace PrEP if they had information about it. The study highlights that the use of PrEP is linked to individual and environmental factors, which are crucial for PrEP roll-out. These factors include access to PrEP in a friendly manner, supportive family and friends, and the reduction of stigma and misconception. Therefore, when addressed, the said factors can foster the use of PrEP and mitigate barriers. For students to fully realise the benefits of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies like PrEP, there is a need for informed educational efforts. A well-informed student body is important for the successful adoption and use of PrEP. The findings suggest that the health care workers were knowledgeable and conscious about the use of PrEP. However, there were inconsistencies in the information provided by the health care workers regarding the recommended period for taking PrEP before testing again and taking the three-month course. The inconsistencies raise questions regarding the accuracy and reliability of the information provided. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Lepelesana, Mamorena Sylvia
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466150 , vital:76701
- Description: South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS compared to the rest of the world, with young people most at risk. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in key populations at a higher risk of exposure to HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS pandemic remains a pressing issue among higher education institutions, with a need for a comprehensive understanding of barriers and facilitators associated with the use of PrEP. The Higher Education AIDS (HEAIDS) plays a pivotal role in the mitigation of the spread of HIV/AIDS in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In this study, Rhodes University serves as a focal point for exploring PrEP implementation and acceptance. This qualitative study examines Rhodes University students' PrEP knowledge, perception, practice, and roll-out preference. More evidence is required to measure progress among students. A study was conducted involving sixteen (16) in-depth semi-structured interviews with students and health care workers, as well as a focus group consisting of three (3) students aged between 20-60 years. This study used the Socio-Ecological Model and Health Belief Model as theoretical frameworks. Participants in the study identified both the barriers and the facilitators to the use of PrEP. The findings show that there is a lack of knowledge and low perception among students about PrEP. The study found that lack of knowledge was the source of the stigma and misconception about PrEP. Most participants expressed the need for more information to differentiate between the ARVs in PrEP and the ARV medication for HIV-positive people. However, they further expressed a willingness to embrace PrEP if they had information about it. The study highlights that the use of PrEP is linked to individual and environmental factors, which are crucial for PrEP roll-out. These factors include access to PrEP in a friendly manner, supportive family and friends, and the reduction of stigma and misconception. Therefore, when addressed, the said factors can foster the use of PrEP and mitigate barriers. For students to fully realise the benefits of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies like PrEP, there is a need for informed educational efforts. A well-informed student body is important for the successful adoption and use of PrEP. The findings suggest that the health care workers were knowledgeable and conscious about the use of PrEP. However, there were inconsistencies in the information provided by the health care workers regarding the recommended period for taking PrEP before testing again and taking the three-month course. The inconsistencies raise questions regarding the accuracy and reliability of the information provided. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Lemons or Lemonade? Examining the economic and social outcomes of engaging in the export-driven citrus value chain of South Africa for selected commercial citrus farmers and farm workers in the Raymond Mhlaba Municipal District, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Sizani, Simbulele
- Date: 2024-04-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435553 , vital:73168
- Description: This study examines the economic and social outcomes of participating in a global citrus value chain for selected commercial farmers and farm workers in Raymond Mhlaba Municipal District in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A global chain refers to international production sharing through cross-border trade. Multilateral organizations (and some prominent global chain scholars) that support neoliberal economic globalization perceive global chains as ideal channels of economic and social upgrading for participants, particularly those from the global South. From the abovementioned perspective, global chains enhance efficiency through inter-firm relations that promote the distribution of technology and access to capital, thus leading to economic and social upgrading in developing countries. Economic upgrading, on the one hand, can briefly be described as the movement of supplier firms from lower to higher-value activities in global chains. Social upgrading, on the other hand, is the improvement of employment conditions and outcomes of workers employed by supplier firms at the production node of global chains. This study adopts the dual theoretical framework (Global Chain Framework and Labour Process Theory) proposed by Newsome, Taylor, Bair and Rainnie (2015) in their seminal book ‘Putting Labour in its Place: Labour Process Analysis and Global Value Chains’. This dual framework is ideal because it conceptualizes the spheres of trade exchange and production, which are the primary research sites of this study. Qualitative research methods were adopted and utilized to collect and analyse data in this study. These methods were ideal for this study, as they captured the subjective accounts of the selected commercial citrus farmers and farm workers in the Raymond Mhlaba Municipal District in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The findings in this study showed that the outcomes of these selected commercial citrus farmers and farm workers in this region are variegated, meaning that, there is evidence of economic upgrading, social upgrading and social downgrading as well. Amongst farm workers in the region, only a small group of (mostly older male) farm workers enjoyed social upgrading, whilst the majority of seasonal (mostly female) farm workers experiences social downgrading. The findings in this study showed that the variegated economic and social outcomes of the selected commercial farmers and farm workers were primarily determined by their economic class and position within the citrus value chain of South Africa. These findings highlight the importance of positionality in determining the fate of participants in global chains. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
- Authors: Sizani, Simbulele
- Date: 2024-04-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435553 , vital:73168
- Description: This study examines the economic and social outcomes of participating in a global citrus value chain for selected commercial farmers and farm workers in Raymond Mhlaba Municipal District in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A global chain refers to international production sharing through cross-border trade. Multilateral organizations (and some prominent global chain scholars) that support neoliberal economic globalization perceive global chains as ideal channels of economic and social upgrading for participants, particularly those from the global South. From the abovementioned perspective, global chains enhance efficiency through inter-firm relations that promote the distribution of technology and access to capital, thus leading to economic and social upgrading in developing countries. Economic upgrading, on the one hand, can briefly be described as the movement of supplier firms from lower to higher-value activities in global chains. Social upgrading, on the other hand, is the improvement of employment conditions and outcomes of workers employed by supplier firms at the production node of global chains. This study adopts the dual theoretical framework (Global Chain Framework and Labour Process Theory) proposed by Newsome, Taylor, Bair and Rainnie (2015) in their seminal book ‘Putting Labour in its Place: Labour Process Analysis and Global Value Chains’. This dual framework is ideal because it conceptualizes the spheres of trade exchange and production, which are the primary research sites of this study. Qualitative research methods were adopted and utilized to collect and analyse data in this study. These methods were ideal for this study, as they captured the subjective accounts of the selected commercial citrus farmers and farm workers in the Raymond Mhlaba Municipal District in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The findings in this study showed that the outcomes of these selected commercial citrus farmers and farm workers in this region are variegated, meaning that, there is evidence of economic upgrading, social upgrading and social downgrading as well. Amongst farm workers in the region, only a small group of (mostly older male) farm workers enjoyed social upgrading, whilst the majority of seasonal (mostly female) farm workers experiences social downgrading. The findings in this study showed that the variegated economic and social outcomes of the selected commercial farmers and farm workers were primarily determined by their economic class and position within the citrus value chain of South Africa. These findings highlight the importance of positionality in determining the fate of participants in global chains. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
A comparative analysis of land, labour and gender in a communal area and fast track farm in Zvimba Rural District, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chinomona, Perpetua
- Date: 2024-04-03
- Subjects: Land reform Zimbabwe Zvimba District , Patriarchy Zimbabwe , Feminism Zimbabwe , Sexual division of labor Zimbabwe , Decision making , Culture
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434612 , vital:73089 , DOI 10.21504/10962/434612
- Description: This thesis provides a comparative analysis of gender, land, and labour between two different types of farming sites in rural Zimbabwe, namely long-established communal areas and the more recent Al fast track land reform resettlement areas. More specifically, the focus is on Kanzou Village and Stratford fast track resettlement farm respectively, located in Zvimba District in Mashonaland West Province. The study focuses on the period from the year 2000, the year in which the fast track resettlement programme was launched by the government. The thesis examines in particular the status and experience of women with regard to land acquisition, access and security as well as the division of labour (including assets, inputs and labour-time) in the spheres of production (i.e., agriculture) and social reproduction (i.e., the domestic sphere). This includes highlighting the power relations existing between men and women in both spheres, in the light of prevailing systems of patriarchy. Analytically, the thesis is framed in terms of feminism, drawing upon the complementary insights of Third World feminism and socialist feminism. In seeking to capture the perspectives and practices of men and women in the two sites, the fieldwork for the study entails a qualitative methodology. The findings of the research demonstrate the existence and relevance of patriarchal systems with respect to land and labour in Kanzou Village and Stratford fast track farm, with key commonalities appearing across the two sites with reference to the multiple ways in which women are disadvantaged and disempowered. Therefore, gender bias and inequality in land and labour are exhibited by the fact that men have, for instance, easier access to land, less involvement in labouring activities, control over a higher proportion of household income and a disproportionate level of power in the household. At the same time, there are certain differences between Kanzou Village and Stratford fast track farm around questions of gender, land and labour, but these are differences in degree rather than kind. Perhaps more important in explaining the differences between the two sites, and indeed differences within each site, are other variables. These variables include marital status, form or marriage (for example, customary or civil marriages), age and gender. By considering these variables as well, the thesis shows the importance of unpacking the notion of ‘woman’ to reveal the variegated and differential experiences of different categories of women in rural Zimbabwe. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-03
- Authors: Chinomona, Perpetua
- Date: 2024-04-03
- Subjects: Land reform Zimbabwe Zvimba District , Patriarchy Zimbabwe , Feminism Zimbabwe , Sexual division of labor Zimbabwe , Decision making , Culture
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434612 , vital:73089 , DOI 10.21504/10962/434612
- Description: This thesis provides a comparative analysis of gender, land, and labour between two different types of farming sites in rural Zimbabwe, namely long-established communal areas and the more recent Al fast track land reform resettlement areas. More specifically, the focus is on Kanzou Village and Stratford fast track resettlement farm respectively, located in Zvimba District in Mashonaland West Province. The study focuses on the period from the year 2000, the year in which the fast track resettlement programme was launched by the government. The thesis examines in particular the status and experience of women with regard to land acquisition, access and security as well as the division of labour (including assets, inputs and labour-time) in the spheres of production (i.e., agriculture) and social reproduction (i.e., the domestic sphere). This includes highlighting the power relations existing between men and women in both spheres, in the light of prevailing systems of patriarchy. Analytically, the thesis is framed in terms of feminism, drawing upon the complementary insights of Third World feminism and socialist feminism. In seeking to capture the perspectives and practices of men and women in the two sites, the fieldwork for the study entails a qualitative methodology. The findings of the research demonstrate the existence and relevance of patriarchal systems with respect to land and labour in Kanzou Village and Stratford fast track farm, with key commonalities appearing across the two sites with reference to the multiple ways in which women are disadvantaged and disempowered. Therefore, gender bias and inequality in land and labour are exhibited by the fact that men have, for instance, easier access to land, less involvement in labouring activities, control over a higher proportion of household income and a disproportionate level of power in the household. At the same time, there are certain differences between Kanzou Village and Stratford fast track farm around questions of gender, land and labour, but these are differences in degree rather than kind. Perhaps more important in explaining the differences between the two sites, and indeed differences within each site, are other variables. These variables include marital status, form or marriage (for example, customary or civil marriages), age and gender. By considering these variables as well, the thesis shows the importance of unpacking the notion of ‘woman’ to reveal the variegated and differential experiences of different categories of women in rural Zimbabwe. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-03
An exploratory study of leadership and organisational change through the lens of organisational behaviour: a secondary school in Makhanda
- Authors: Yedwa, Sesonasipho
- Date: 2024-04-03
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434595 , vital:73088
- Description: Access restricted. Expected release in 2025. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-03
- Authors: Yedwa, Sesonasipho
- Date: 2024-04-03
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434595 , vital:73088
- Description: Access restricted. Expected release in 2025. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-03
Instagram and male body image: an in-depth study of perceptions surrounding Instagram-related body ideals amongst gym-going, male students at Rhodes University.
- Nikiforos, Declyn Michael Costa
- Authors: Nikiforos, Declyn Michael Costa
- Date: 2024-04-03
- Subjects: Instagram (Electronic resource) , Body image in men South Africa Makhanda , College students Attitudes , Rhodes University , Disciplinary power , Social comparison theory
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434584 , vital:73087
- Description: Guided by the disciplinary power and social comparison theories, this study sought to explore the perceptions of Instagram-related male body ideals amongst young, gym-going men enrolled at Rhodes University. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted, and the responses suggested that Instagram use shaped young men’s body-related perceptions in a variety of complex ways. The findings suggested that Instagram exposed users to a lean and muscular body ideal and that perceptions of this ideal were shaped by factors such as Instagram’s positivity bias, the age of users, and the exposure to the idealised bodies of fitness influencers. Furthermore, perceptions of Instagram’s male body ideal were influenced by context. Black South Africans that attended majority white high schools were more likely to conform to the male body ideals associated with their school environment. In such instances, individuals rejected the body norms associated with their ethnic backgrounds in lieu of striving for a lean and muscular body. Additionally, perceptions of body dissatisfaction were evident in cases where upward social comparisons were made with unrealistic male body ideals. Conformity to Instagram’s male body ideal also suggested that male users were subjected to a coercive form of power that resulted in their active participation in the reproduction of male body ideals. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-03
- Authors: Nikiforos, Declyn Michael Costa
- Date: 2024-04-03
- Subjects: Instagram (Electronic resource) , Body image in men South Africa Makhanda , College students Attitudes , Rhodes University , Disciplinary power , Social comparison theory
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434584 , vital:73087
- Description: Guided by the disciplinary power and social comparison theories, this study sought to explore the perceptions of Instagram-related male body ideals amongst young, gym-going men enrolled at Rhodes University. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted, and the responses suggested that Instagram use shaped young men’s body-related perceptions in a variety of complex ways. The findings suggested that Instagram exposed users to a lean and muscular body ideal and that perceptions of this ideal were shaped by factors such as Instagram’s positivity bias, the age of users, and the exposure to the idealised bodies of fitness influencers. Furthermore, perceptions of Instagram’s male body ideal were influenced by context. Black South Africans that attended majority white high schools were more likely to conform to the male body ideals associated with their school environment. In such instances, individuals rejected the body norms associated with their ethnic backgrounds in lieu of striving for a lean and muscular body. Additionally, perceptions of body dissatisfaction were evident in cases where upward social comparisons were made with unrealistic male body ideals. Conformity to Instagram’s male body ideal also suggested that male users were subjected to a coercive form of power that resulted in their active participation in the reproduction of male body ideals. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-03
The Zimbabwe National Gender Policy (NGP) 2013–2017 and Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE): a study of small-scale gold miners in the Bubi and Gwanda rural districts, Zimbabwe
- Moyo, Phoebe Michelle Zibusiso Sandi
- Authors: Moyo, Phoebe Michelle Zibusiso Sandi
- Date: 2024-04-03
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434638 , vital:73092 , DOI 10.21504/10962/434638
- Description: The study examines the impact of Zimbabwe’s second National Gender Policy (NGP) 2013-2017 under the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development on women’s access to and control over productive resources in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector in Bubi and Gwanda rural districts of Zimbabwe. Despite the implementation of the NGP over the past fourteen years, its effect on the economic empowerment of women has not been investigated adequately. Women’s economic empowerment (WEE) is recognized as a crucial development strategy. However, it faces challenges related to the tensions between structure and agency. Some perceive WEE as an entrepreneurial concept focusing on equal access and control over productive resources like credit, equipment, skills, and business training. Others argue that WEE should encompass more than just resource access and control by addressing structural factors that hinder women’s agency e.g. unequal social relations between men and women, patriarchy, unpaid care work, and sociocultural norms. The study employed a hybrid lens, combining structure and agency to analyse the implementation of the NGP’s empowerment programs. Drawing on Kabeer’s (1994) Social Relations Approach (SRA), the study utilized two key concepts from the SRA, namely social relations and institutional analysis, to examine the interaction between the NGP and various institutions (market, community, and family) where women are located. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which the NGP has supported or impeded WEE among the female small-scale gold miners in Bubi and Gwanda, a qualitative approach was employed as an investigative method. The findings indicated that the NGP adopts a liberal or agency centred approach to WEE. This approach emphasizes women’s agency and their ability to fulfil their potential in the public sphere. The NGP has facilitated access to credit, equipment, skills, and business training. However, the evidence also highlighted the uneven implementation of the NGP’s empowerment programs between the Bubi and Gwanda districts. Overall, the evidence revealed that, while the NGP has addressed gender inequalities to a limited degree, it has also reinforced class inequalities. The NGP’s empowerment programs have overlooked the structural factors that keep women in subordinate positions, such as the unequal social relations that exist between men and women, patriarchy, unpaid care work and sociocultural norms. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-03
- Authors: Moyo, Phoebe Michelle Zibusiso Sandi
- Date: 2024-04-03
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434638 , vital:73092 , DOI 10.21504/10962/434638
- Description: The study examines the impact of Zimbabwe’s second National Gender Policy (NGP) 2013-2017 under the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development on women’s access to and control over productive resources in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector in Bubi and Gwanda rural districts of Zimbabwe. Despite the implementation of the NGP over the past fourteen years, its effect on the economic empowerment of women has not been investigated adequately. Women’s economic empowerment (WEE) is recognized as a crucial development strategy. However, it faces challenges related to the tensions between structure and agency. Some perceive WEE as an entrepreneurial concept focusing on equal access and control over productive resources like credit, equipment, skills, and business training. Others argue that WEE should encompass more than just resource access and control by addressing structural factors that hinder women’s agency e.g. unequal social relations between men and women, patriarchy, unpaid care work, and sociocultural norms. The study employed a hybrid lens, combining structure and agency to analyse the implementation of the NGP’s empowerment programs. Drawing on Kabeer’s (1994) Social Relations Approach (SRA), the study utilized two key concepts from the SRA, namely social relations and institutional analysis, to examine the interaction between the NGP and various institutions (market, community, and family) where women are located. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which the NGP has supported or impeded WEE among the female small-scale gold miners in Bubi and Gwanda, a qualitative approach was employed as an investigative method. The findings indicated that the NGP adopts a liberal or agency centred approach to WEE. This approach emphasizes women’s agency and their ability to fulfil their potential in the public sphere. The NGP has facilitated access to credit, equipment, skills, and business training. However, the evidence also highlighted the uneven implementation of the NGP’s empowerment programs between the Bubi and Gwanda districts. Overall, the evidence revealed that, while the NGP has addressed gender inequalities to a limited degree, it has also reinforced class inequalities. The NGP’s empowerment programs have overlooked the structural factors that keep women in subordinate positions, such as the unequal social relations that exist between men and women, patriarchy, unpaid care work and sociocultural norms. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-03
An examination of the use and value of support systems for people living with HIV/AIDS in Makhanda
- Authors: Gorham, Catherine Margaret
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: HIV-positive persons South Africa Makhanda , AIDS (Disease) Patients South Africa Makhanda , Social networks , Diseases Social aspects , Health services accessibility , Narrative
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432411 , vital:72868 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432411
- Description: Through the experiences of five people, this study asks how support systems develop, are used and are valued for those faced with the everyday challenges of living with HIV. Additional evidence is found in accounts from those identified as essential sources of support. These are primarily friends, sometimes family. This perspective is rounded out by insights gathered from those working in local organisations and in the analysis of services offered by the state. The three women and two men at the centre of this study live in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) is characterised by extremes of poverty and wealth, reflected in low employment, expanding informal and low-income settlement areas but also in a high level of community activism and access to resources. Each of the five tested positive for HIV variously between 1998 and 2008. These years were pivotal in the development of the local and national epidemic. The rapid expansion of infection rates, contestation over forms of and access to treatment, followed by emphasis of a biomedical response, in equal measure bracket and cut across their experiences. To this point, research is less concerned with what individual experiences say about living through the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Preoccupations lie more generally with macro- or micro-level factors, with behaviour change, managing risk and so public health – not the processes linking individual circumstances and choices to opportunities and outcomes described by individual, community and structural, socio-economic contexts. Personal accounts and observations of a developing, community-based, local response to an unfolding epidemic are therefore considered against the analysis of available medical and nonmedical resources. This enables identification and investigation of social processes operating between proximal and distal conditions, determining possibilities for access to support. The focus of this study thus falls to the interrelations of structure, agency and action. It contributes to an empirical and theoretical understanding of what “support” is, what “coping” means and what unfolds where diagnosis with HIV disrupts and challenges existing ways of coping and forms of support. The accounts gathered for this study offer an “insider” perspective, focused on what follows from testing positive to identifying what resources hold significance. Connections between individual, community and society, through psycho-social, local and macro-level processes are explored. Along with the empirical study of individual accounts, the thesis offers a theoretical framework that uses a grounded-theory approach in conjunction with the tools of narrative analysis. These are critically adapted from a sociology of illness studies. Ideas of risk and response, of material and social capital, of the nature of HIV/AIDS as an experience that is inclusive of both chronic, everyday challenge and critical, life-threatening crisis disrupting a sense of time, biography and self, are brought together in the analysis. In this way the understanding of what support means, how it develops and is used (systematically or not), and of the links operating between structural and social conditions, individual agency and action, can be developed. What the thesis finds is that, beyond the medical system of hospitals and clinics, there is surprisingly little use of available resources. There is thus an absence of any systematic support for those faced with the physical, psychological, social and material impacts of HIV/AIDS. Given the nature of personal circumstances, embedded as they are within local conditions that reflect structural constraints of the broader economy and society, this should not be surprising. A system of support exists in only the most limited definition. Against this, what is novel in these findings is the role that psycho-social processes play in negotiating these conditions and how this works, determining what unfolds. A key finding is that it is more through chance than choice that people do find conventional forms of support. The reasons for this have to do not only with limitations to state and institutional capacity, but also with the impact on individuals of perceptions of themselves shaped by the impact of the epidemic and also the past. The result is that under the burden of HIV/AIDS, in the context of extreme inequalities and the absence of an adequate response from the state, already invisible individuals who do not “count” run the risk of becoming doubly invisible. It is through a process of personal adaptation in which shifts in identity and a sense of self are key that they must find their own way. This involves re-conceptualisations of identity, a sense of self and place in the world. The focus on five people and the community in which they live is a limit to the scope of study Yet it is this focus which allows for a new understanding of the social processes involved, and so the links operating between individuals and society. This is of significance beyond the study of HIV/AIDS alone, contributing to the broader sociological project of understanding what it means to “be human”. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Gorham, Catherine Margaret
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: HIV-positive persons South Africa Makhanda , AIDS (Disease) Patients South Africa Makhanda , Social networks , Diseases Social aspects , Health services accessibility , Narrative
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432411 , vital:72868 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432411
- Description: Through the experiences of five people, this study asks how support systems develop, are used and are valued for those faced with the everyday challenges of living with HIV. Additional evidence is found in accounts from those identified as essential sources of support. These are primarily friends, sometimes family. This perspective is rounded out by insights gathered from those working in local organisations and in the analysis of services offered by the state. The three women and two men at the centre of this study live in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) is characterised by extremes of poverty and wealth, reflected in low employment, expanding informal and low-income settlement areas but also in a high level of community activism and access to resources. Each of the five tested positive for HIV variously between 1998 and 2008. These years were pivotal in the development of the local and national epidemic. The rapid expansion of infection rates, contestation over forms of and access to treatment, followed by emphasis of a biomedical response, in equal measure bracket and cut across their experiences. To this point, research is less concerned with what individual experiences say about living through the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Preoccupations lie more generally with macro- or micro-level factors, with behaviour change, managing risk and so public health – not the processes linking individual circumstances and choices to opportunities and outcomes described by individual, community and structural, socio-economic contexts. Personal accounts and observations of a developing, community-based, local response to an unfolding epidemic are therefore considered against the analysis of available medical and nonmedical resources. This enables identification and investigation of social processes operating between proximal and distal conditions, determining possibilities for access to support. The focus of this study thus falls to the interrelations of structure, agency and action. It contributes to an empirical and theoretical understanding of what “support” is, what “coping” means and what unfolds where diagnosis with HIV disrupts and challenges existing ways of coping and forms of support. The accounts gathered for this study offer an “insider” perspective, focused on what follows from testing positive to identifying what resources hold significance. Connections between individual, community and society, through psycho-social, local and macro-level processes are explored. Along with the empirical study of individual accounts, the thesis offers a theoretical framework that uses a grounded-theory approach in conjunction with the tools of narrative analysis. These are critically adapted from a sociology of illness studies. Ideas of risk and response, of material and social capital, of the nature of HIV/AIDS as an experience that is inclusive of both chronic, everyday challenge and critical, life-threatening crisis disrupting a sense of time, biography and self, are brought together in the analysis. In this way the understanding of what support means, how it develops and is used (systematically or not), and of the links operating between structural and social conditions, individual agency and action, can be developed. What the thesis finds is that, beyond the medical system of hospitals and clinics, there is surprisingly little use of available resources. There is thus an absence of any systematic support for those faced with the physical, psychological, social and material impacts of HIV/AIDS. Given the nature of personal circumstances, embedded as they are within local conditions that reflect structural constraints of the broader economy and society, this should not be surprising. A system of support exists in only the most limited definition. Against this, what is novel in these findings is the role that psycho-social processes play in negotiating these conditions and how this works, determining what unfolds. A key finding is that it is more through chance than choice that people do find conventional forms of support. The reasons for this have to do not only with limitations to state and institutional capacity, but also with the impact on individuals of perceptions of themselves shaped by the impact of the epidemic and also the past. The result is that under the burden of HIV/AIDS, in the context of extreme inequalities and the absence of an adequate response from the state, already invisible individuals who do not “count” run the risk of becoming doubly invisible. It is through a process of personal adaptation in which shifts in identity and a sense of self are key that they must find their own way. This involves re-conceptualisations of identity, a sense of self and place in the world. The focus on five people and the community in which they live is a limit to the scope of study Yet it is this focus which allows for a new understanding of the social processes involved, and so the links operating between individuals and society. This is of significance beyond the study of HIV/AIDS alone, contributing to the broader sociological project of understanding what it means to “be human”. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
An exploration of Black women’s motivations for pursuing sociology at Rhodes University
- Authors: Vezi, Indiphile Siyanda
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425220 , vital:72220
- Description: Enbargoed. Expected release date 2025. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Vezi, Indiphile Siyanda
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425220 , vital:72220
- Description: Enbargoed. Expected release date 2025. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Every gig counts: understanding the livelihood strategies of Zimbabwean platform food delivery workers in Makhanda, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mwansa, Kombe
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Gig economy South Africa Makhanda , Food delivery services South Africa Makhanda , Zimbabweans South Africa , Immigrants Social conditions , Self-reliant living , Sustainable livelihood
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425193 , vital:72218
- Description: Zimbabweans are often faced with several obstacles upon their arrival in South Africa. This thesis seeks to understand the lives and livelihoods of Zimbabwean gig economy workers in Makhanda using the case of Platform food delivery workers. Drawing from Chambers and Conway (1991) Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and existing literature the study explores the livelihoods of ten Zimbabwean gig workers in Makhanda using non-random purposeful sampling. Using qualitative methodology, the study examines their demographic backgrounds; pathways to employment in the gig economy; the economic and social livelihood strategies at their disposal, the daily challenges they face; and the livelihood outcomes they acquire as a result of their livelihood strategies. A case study involves an in-depth examination of a single individual, group, organization, or event. It is particularly useful for understanding complex phenomena in their real-world context. The study took on a case study approach which involved an in-depth examination of Zimbabwean Platform food delivery workers in Makhanda. The study found that there are complex connections between the gig economy and migrants' livelihoods. From one perspective in the context of South Africa’s constricted labour markets, gig work offers migrant workers quick pathways to employment and self-sufficiency. From another perspective gig work is precarious and technology companies misclassify gig workers as independent contractors, which leaves gig workers in vulnerable positions. Further findings show that migrant gig workers often combine gig work with other livelihood strategies in pursuit of secure and sustainable livelihoods. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Mwansa, Kombe
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Gig economy South Africa Makhanda , Food delivery services South Africa Makhanda , Zimbabweans South Africa , Immigrants Social conditions , Self-reliant living , Sustainable livelihood
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425193 , vital:72218
- Description: Zimbabweans are often faced with several obstacles upon their arrival in South Africa. This thesis seeks to understand the lives and livelihoods of Zimbabwean gig economy workers in Makhanda using the case of Platform food delivery workers. Drawing from Chambers and Conway (1991) Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and existing literature the study explores the livelihoods of ten Zimbabwean gig workers in Makhanda using non-random purposeful sampling. Using qualitative methodology, the study examines their demographic backgrounds; pathways to employment in the gig economy; the economic and social livelihood strategies at their disposal, the daily challenges they face; and the livelihood outcomes they acquire as a result of their livelihood strategies. A case study involves an in-depth examination of a single individual, group, organization, or event. It is particularly useful for understanding complex phenomena in their real-world context. The study took on a case study approach which involved an in-depth examination of Zimbabwean Platform food delivery workers in Makhanda. The study found that there are complex connections between the gig economy and migrants' livelihoods. From one perspective in the context of South Africa’s constricted labour markets, gig work offers migrant workers quick pathways to employment and self-sufficiency. From another perspective gig work is precarious and technology companies misclassify gig workers as independent contractors, which leaves gig workers in vulnerable positions. Further findings show that migrant gig workers often combine gig work with other livelihood strategies in pursuit of secure and sustainable livelihoods. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13