3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Socially developing the man : exploring the perceptions of young, male university students in relation to gender studies.(2014-07-01) Osikhena, Igbanoi LeoThe present study set out to explore how male university students perceive their involvement in gender studies and how this intersects with their masculine identities. The research was a qualitative one and semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect data from ten Humanities postgraduate students attending a large, urban university comprising men who do gender studies and those who do not. Two key informants were also interviewed for the study. Qualitative thematic content analysis was employed to analyse the data collected; these reflected themes that bordered around the men and their identities, gender equality, engagement in gender studies, and changing attitudes towards observable gender transformation. In comparing the responses of both categories of men, an inference made was that, although the men mostly expressed positive attitudes towards engagement in gender studies, there does not seem to be a direct relationship between exposing men to gender studies courses or not, and changes in perception towards gender relations. This was evidenced by the fact that both groups of men predominantly upheld traditional hegemonic ideals of masculinity through displays of complicit, accommodating and defensive masculinities amidst a couple of progressive representations. The study affirms the thesis that masculinity is socially constructed based on the contradictory manner in which the men spoke about their identities. This reaffirms the essentiality of speaking about men in diverse ways and rejecting any notions of singularity. Key words: Gender studies, masculinity, hegemonic masculinity, masculinities, university men, changing attitudesItem Constructions of intimate partner violence in gay male relationships.(2014-06-12) Moodley, YolandranAlthough prevalence rates of gay intimate partner violence (IPV) appear to equal heterosexual IPV rates, gay male IPV does not feature strongly in public anti-‐violence messaging. This relative silence appears to hold even within the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) community. This study addresses this silence. In-‐depth qualitative interviews were conducted and a critical discourse analysis informed by Ian Parker’s (1992) perspectives, was used to analyse the results. A review of mainstream and critical discourses of violence show that IPV is usually constructed as an exclusively heterosexual phenomenon and these influenced participants’ constructions. Findings indicated that a range of discourses intersect to produce constructions of gay IPV as ‘not violence’, normative, un-‐ harmful, unintimidating, ‘anti-‐gay’, erotic, cathartic and intimate. All of these formations can result in gay IPV being silenced and it was shown that gay mens’ constructions of IPV were inextricably bound in gendered, power asymmetry. The study demonstrates how particular configurations of discourse are necessary for violence to become intelligible at all. The implications of these findings are discussed and possibilities for important community intervention suggested.