Faculty of Humanities (ETDs)

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Subject: search.filters.subject.SDG-5: Gender equality

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    Learner Leaders’ voices on the male dropout in secondary schools in Mogale City: A Qualitative Case Study
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025-03) Sahula, Mpho Siphokazi Gift; Mthembu, Pinkie E.
    This study explores the views of learner leaders on challenges and solutions to male learner dropout in secondary schools in Mogale City, South Africa. With the input of those learner leaders who serve on the Representative Council of Learners (RCL), the objectives of the study are to investigate the complex challenges male learners face, which contribute to their dropping out. Further, the study aims to identify strategies that learner leaders propose to enhance inclusivity and reduce dropout rates. The premise of these objectives is to give learners a voice in identifying and providing solutions to the problems they encounter, as this is something that is missing in the literature. The study was informed by two theoretical frameworks: Critical Theory and Empowerment theory. The study used an interpretive paradigm with a qualitative approach, as it used a case-study design. Data generation relied on semi-structured interviews with 11 participants in two schools that were purposefully sampled. Subsequently, critical thematic analysis, using a hybrid of inductive and deductive approaches, was employed to identify data patterns and themes, resulting in 10 main themes and 20 subthemes. Participant’s anonymity and confidentiality were addressed as each participant was given a pseudonym. Besides, ethical considerations were observed in this study. The findings suggest that male learners encounter several challenges that propel their dropout, and the system must provide more support to validate their dispositions and experiences. Furthermore, the findings reveal that learners hold the solutions to their challenges but require a platform to implement them, given that the RCL platform is undermined by other stakeholders in school governance. These interventions may lead to reduced dropout rates and enhance inclusivity in the education system.
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    A Qualitative Study Exploring How South African Female Gender-Based Violence Survivors Use Creative Expression to Communicate Their Stories Publicly
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Wright, Mary-Anne Elizabeth; Harvey, Clare
    This study investigated how South African female gender-based violence (GBV) survivors utilised creative expression to communicate their stories of GBV publicly. Within the constructivist paradigm, the study was further interested in how this public communication of GBV from the survivors themselves influenced and acted as a mode of counter-discourse in relation to the prominent discourse around GBV in South Africa. The study was done through conducting a critical narrative analysis (CNA) and visual discourse analysis (VDA) of three selected creative works, which communicated first-hand accounts of GBV, sourced from the public domain. The Pieces were selected through purposive sampling and the modes of creative expression were an artwork, a video of a performed poem, and a short story. The combination of CNA and VDA was chosen for this research as the creative works are a mixture of spoken word, written text, and other visual elements. The VDA allowed for an in-depth analysis of the visual components of the creative expressions with the hopes of providing a complete analysis within the CNA framework. Findings from this research suggest that creative works do potentially offer space for South African female GBV survivors to share their stories publicly. Through exploring social responses to the Pieces it seems that the sharing of these creative expressions further appears to have contributed to the social discourse which elicited engagement and conversation from other members of society. The creative expressions were additionally found to meet the criteria of counter-discourse. The Pieces challenge GBV dominant discourses such as victim-blaming, victimisation of survivors, and shame and stigma through relinquishing shame and blame and highlighting the strength and resilience of survivors.
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    Disability and Masculinity: How Young Men with a Disability Navigate Masculinity in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Moonsamy, Michaela Anne; Langa, Malose
    This research project aimed to contribute to the body of knowledge in the global south literature on masculinity by exploring how young men with a physical disability construct and navigate masculinity. Theories such as Ecological systems theory, Social identity theory and Gender role strain theory served as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection method. There were seven participants in total, five identifying as black and two identifying as Indian, all with varying degrees of physical disabilities. Participants were selected using purposive snowball sampling. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data. Five themes were constructed from the data: How young men with disabilities define their masculinity; Challenges of not meeting Hegemonic Masculinity Standards and the coping strategies used to manage these challenges; Disability and its contribution to identity formation; Relationship with others: living with a disability and how this relationship affects masculine identity; and Embodying masculinity. The study revealed that young men with a disability reject/reformulate hegemonic masculine ideals to standards they can meet but can also simultaneously draw from hegemonic ideals. In addition, various challenges faced by men with a disability were explored as well as how relationships affect identity formation while living with a disability. Limitations and future recommendations are discussed.
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    Contraceptive use Transition and Fertility Dynamics and Reproductive Health Outcomes in Zambia
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Phiri, Million
    Background: Improving access to and utilisation of contraceptive methods has been a major global goal of maternal health and development programming for over four decades now. Despite the benefits associated with contraceptive use, the prevalence in Zambia is still low. The country’s population policy has identified high fertility rate, population growth rate and maternal mortality rate as hindrances to the country’s socio-economic development agenda. Although the contraceptive prevalence rate in Zambia is still low, it has been increasing steadily from 15.2% in 1992 to 34.2% in 2001 and then from 40.8% in 2007 to 49.0% in 2018 among women of reproductive age. The sources of the observed increase in the contraceptive rate use were not known. This is because previous studies in Zambia concentrated on examining factors associated with using contraception use rather changes in usage. This study achieved the four specific objectives: (i) describe how contraceptive use has changed in Zambia over time regarding levels and trends; (ii) explore the geographic, social, economic, environmental and demographic factors that explain contraceptive use transition in Zambia; (iii) examine how contraceptive use transitions have affected fertility dynamics (iv) examine how contraceptive use transition has affected reproductive health outcomes in Zambia. Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework used in this study reflects the fact that a woman’s choice to use contraceptive is affected by a complex interplay of social, economic and interpersonal relationships at household or neighborhoods levels. It is in this regard that this study adopted the empowerment and social capital theories, reflecting social phenomena which operate at different level to influence contraceptive use. As such, contraceptive use can be viewed as a function of the level of empowerment among women, their access to social capital, and the degree to which gender inequality and problematic social norms are present in their social environment. The key woman empowerment elements include participation in the decision- making process, education attainment, access and ownership of resources, access to information, employment opportunity, and higher socioeconomic status. Methodology: This study employed a mixed methods research design to examine factors explaining contraceptive use transition in Zambia. Quantitative analysis used a pooled dataset comprising a sample of 44,762 fecund sexually active and non-pregnant women aged (15-49 years) captured in the demographic and health surveys (DHSs) conducted between 1992 and 2018. The DHS is a cross-sectional study which applies a two-stage stratified cluster sampling design to select Enumeration areas and households. Furthermore, qualitative data analysis was conducted on the data collected through focus groups (FGD) with women of reproductive age (n=4) and key informant interviews with key staff (n=10) from the Ministry of Health and stakeholder organisations implementing family planning programmes in Zambia. All the FGDs and key informant interviews were conducted in Lusaka and Chongwe districts. The first objective was achieved by conducting descriptive and trend analysis on data to examine the changes in contraceptive use overtime. Qualitative data was used to explain the reasons behind the observed changes in contraceptive use transition. Analysis for the second was done in two steps. The outcome variable for this study is current contraceptive use. All sexually active women in the DHS were asked a question “Are you currently using any contraceptive method to prevent a pregnancy”. The first step involved application of multilevel regression analysis to examine the influence of both individual and community factors on current contraceptive use in Zambia. The second step involved utilisation of multivariable nonlinear decomposition technique (Blinder Oaxaca decomposition techniques) to measure the contribution effects of both individual and contextual factors to the observed changes in contraceptive use in Zambia. This was also complimented by qualitative data to explain to ii | P a g e explain quantitative results. Objective three was achieved through application of multivariable Blinder- Oaxaca decomposition regression techniques to examine the effects of contraception use changes over time on fertility rate and maternal health outcomes in Zambia. Using a multivariable decomposition regression analysis technique is an improvement over previous similar research works that have been conducted in Zambia. All DHS analysis took into account the complex survey design and statistical significance was determined at α0.05. Key findings: Study findings show that in Zambia's contraceptive prevalence rate rose 30.8 percentage points (14.2% to 45.0%) throughout the analysis period, 1992 to 2018. This translates to an average of 1.2% annually. The major share of contraceptive use increase in Zambia happened between 1992 and 2001 (16.7%). The least change was during 2013 and 2018 (0.2%). Findings show that the rate of increase in CPR has been declining over time, even though overall CPR has increased during the analysis period. The findings show that overall, contraceptive use among sexually active women has increased significantly in Zambia, despite regional, residential, and socioeconomic differences. The study's findings support the proposed research hypothesis that contraceptive use has increased significantly in Zambia. Overall, both changes in women’s compositional structure and changes in women's contraceptive behaviour significantly contributed to the change in contraceptive use in Zambia. Multivariable decomposition analysis of the determinants of change in contraceptive use has revealed that between 1992 and 2018: increase in proportion of women with secondary education (5.20%), reduction experience of child mortality (7.70%), reduction in the proportion of women desiring 6 or more children (5.63%) and increase in proportion of woman decision with making autonomy (3.33%) were the major contributors to the trend change in contraceptive use among sexually active women in Zambia. Results from the decomposition analysis reveal that the observed increase in contraceptive use in Zambia has significantly affected reduction and fertility rate and teenage pregnancy. The study results confirm the hypothesis that the increase in contraceptive use has contributed to the reduction in fertility rate and teenage pregnancy. Conclusion: Contraceptive utilisation among sexually active women in Zambia has shown a steady and significant progressive increase of 30.8 percentages over the 26-year period from 1992 to 2018. The larger increase in contraceptive use happened during the period 1992-2001. Although there are still regional and area disadvantage in contraceptive prevalence rate, the gap in utilisation between urban and rural areas has narrowed. Women’s compositional factors have contributed differently to contraceptive use increase observed in the country. The observed increase in contraceptive use in Zambia is largely due to changes in the contraceptive behaviour of sexually active women. Positive change in women’s contraceptive behaviour could be attributed to the country’s huge investment in family planning programming by government and stakeholders. However, improvement in women compositional factors, such as education, decision-making autonomy, access to family planning information and child mortality experience reduction among other individual and community-level factors were key in driving contraceptive use transition. Therefore, as emphasized in the empowerment and social capital theories, social change among women is key in influencing contraceptive use transition. Furthermore, the study has established that the noted increase in contraceptive use in Zambia has positively contributed to fertility rate decline. iii | P a g e Implications of results The findings of this current study imply that both changes in women’s social factors and changes in the contraceptive use behaviour of sexually active women in Zambia have been driving contraceptive use transition in Zambia. This signifies that the investments in family planning programmes have been yield expected results by changing contraceptive behavior of women. The study findings further suggest that understanding social context is key to inform the design of new FP strategies and strengthening of exiting interventions aimed at further improving acceptance and utilisation of contraceptive methods among women. Contribution to knowledge of the study The study has made a contribution to research by delineating social factors that have contributed to the observed contraceptive use transition in Zambia. Such findings have not been explored before in the context of family planning research in Zambian. Furthermore, the study has provided evidence of how the observed increase in contraception use in the country has affected fertility, teenage pregnancy rates, and prevalence of unintended births. This information is relevant for understanding the country’s population and maternal health dynamics. The findings not only validate the relevance of core principles of the empowerment and social capital theories in explaining contraceptive use transition in Zambia, but also shed light on other theoretical aspects that should be considered when understanding contraceptive use transition. Future research Future studies should examine rural-urban and regional variations of the determinants of contraceptive use transition. This will generate information to inform regional specific interventions. More so future studies should examine the factors that may influence a person's decision to utilise contraception in the future among sexually active adolescent girls. Doing so will generate data to inform the design of future family planning programmes that appeal to specific target groups. Furthermore, an in-depth qualitative research is required to understand how to overcome barriers of contraceptive use behaviour relating gender norms, cultural beliefs and religious values.
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    Transgender Identifying People’s Appraisals of Gender- Based Violence & Continuous Traumatic Stress
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ngakane, Mpho Sharni
    This study aims to explore and understand how transgender people who are at risk of GBV-related continuous traumatic stress experience gender discrimination & traumatic stress and how they appraise this risk. Participants were recruited through purposive snowball sampling techniques. Six transgender participants were interviewed, and the results were interpreted through interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). This analysis found a superordinate theme of Otherness, with subthemes being the other (social deviance and intersectionality), CTS (exclusion and violence), liminality (in/visibility and intrusion), and responses to GBV (maladaptive and adaptive).
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    Geek Culture and Art Therapy: Explorations of Gender Dysphoria Expressions
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Malatsi, Neville Modife; Mngomezulu, Nosipho; Wilhelm-Solomon, Matthew
    Gender dysphoria is a psychologically distressing condition, which transgender people experience, as an incongruence between one’s natal sex and perceived gender identity. The standard medical reaffirmative interventions in treating gender dysphoria involve hormone replacement therapy, psychotherapy, and gender reassignment surgeries. However, not all transgender people choose to undergo medical reaffirmative treatments either because of inaccessibility to such treatments, lack of financial or informational sources, personal reasons, or the severe difficulties they experience in transitioning due to transphobia or discrimination. The purpose of this research report is to explore the creative ways transgender geeks employ to alleviate gender dysphoria and communicate lived experiences, especially when gender reassignment surgeries or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are unavailable. These creative ways may involve tropes within the geek subculture such as avatars, or character creation that conforms with one’s perceived gender, and role-playing in online video games and virtual environments that allow one to express their gender. Other creative ways include art as therapy through painting, writing, or journaling, as well as dressing up as a means of expressing one’s gender identity. The theoretical framework that informs this study is phenomenology which helps appraise or analyse the lived experiences of the research participants. A key concept that has helped shape the research approach is surfaces and depths in considering how the trans body and trans art as texts are read and interpreted in relation to passing or transitioning. There are four emerging themes in the overall study which include: time/temporality, genres of textual hybridity, geek subculture and identity, and art as therapy. The data for this project was collected through ‘deep- hanging out’ as a method of observation, fieldnotes, and semi-structured interviews with two participants, Archer and Kahless, both of whom are white transgender men from different socioeconomic brackets and identify as geeks or creatives. Additionally, autoethnography has been included as part of polyvocality and reflexivity. The ethnography is multi-sited in the suburbs of Roodepoort and Randburg where my participants reside. The findings in the ethnographic text have shown that both participants primarily engage in creative arts as a means of self-expression and secondarily as a way of 7 alleviating or communicating gender dysphoria. Art, therefore, fulfils two purposes for my research participants: as a form of therapy and for creative expression.
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    The experience of premature infancy within the mother- infant dyad in neo-natal high care unit: A psychoanalytic exploration
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Canin, Nicole; Bain, Katherine
    The experience of prematurity is disruptive and traumatic for both mother and infant, potentially placing the parent-infant relationship at risk. Given the risks involved as well as the prevalence of premature births, this is an area that requires engagement and research. In an attempt to address the paucity of psychoanalytically oriented research endeavours into the topic of prematurity, this study explored the experience of premature birth for mothers and infants in a neonatal high care ward through the lens of psychoanalytic theory. A psychoanalytically oriented ethnographic approach was utilised integrating object relations and intersubjective psychoanalytic theory with developmental psychology. This implied a focus on the influence of the mothers’ previous relational traumas on her experience of premature birth and use of dissociative defences. Maternal narratives from interviews as well as observational material from three premature mother-baby dyads allowed for in-depth exploration of maternal states of mind, intersubjectivity within mother-premature infant dyads, and infant responsivity. The study design required high levels of researcher reflexivity and the impact of the researcher’s subjectivity was explored. Insights were also offered into the process of conducting psychoanalytically oriented research within this sensitive context. Key findings included the fact that the trauma of engaging with a premature infant appears to reactivate dissociated self-states associated with childhood experiences of loss and absence for mothers. The study suggested that although the vulnerability of the infant is relevant, maternal states of mind play a bigger role in either supporting or derailing the development of the parent-infant relationship. The study also demonstrated the premature infant’s capacity, when appropriately supported, for communication and engagement.
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    Life after Rape: Survivors’ Experiences of Parenting Responses through an Attachment Lens
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Govender, Nikita; Esprey, Yvette
    South Africa has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world, with an estimated one in four women experiencing sexual assault in their lifetime. It becomes crucial to explore how these post-trauma experiences including resilience and identity are shaped by pre- existing attachment cultures1. This research investigates the nuanced experiences of six South African women following rape, with particular focus on the interplay between attachment cultures and experiences with parental support. Drawing on attachment theory and expansions, qualitative interviews were conducted on the sample who represented diverse attachment cultures. Thematic analysis revealed distinct patterns in how these rape survivors appraised their early attachment experiences, experiences of parental support and the quality of their life post-trauma. Securely attached systems demonstrated adaptive coping strategies and positive experiences with parental support while insecurely attached survivors reported varying degrees of maladaptive coping and perceived parental unavailability or instability. These findings magnified the complex interplay between quality of attachment cultures and response to a traumatic event. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of early attachment experiences in shaping perceptions of support and resilience. These contributions may inform tailored interventions to support sexual assault survivors based on their attachment organization. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on attachment theory and trauma recovery.
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    Invisibility of women’s voices, choices, and opinions in African traditional marriages: a case study of the Swati people from Kanyamazane
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ngobeni-Hlophe, Nkateko; Zungu, E. B.
    Most Africans believe that marriage is a gift from the ancestors. Marriage is also perceived as an occasion that brings together two families through the union of two individuals. The study explores the role of makoti within traditional Swati marriages. Traditional marriages require several cultural marriage rites to be observed and completed before a couple can be considered to be married. Different types of traditional marriages require different ceremonies, but the basis of every traditional marriage is lobola. In traditional Swati societies, the only way a woman can officially enter into a man’s family and become a member of that family is through marriage. Once lobola has been paid and makoti joins her new family, she begins to form relationships with her in-laws. Having unpleasant relationships within the family can cause a lot of conflict between family members, which in turn angers the ancestors. African families are known to avoid direct conflicts as a way of avoiding angering the ancestors (Ngidi, 2012). Therefore, family members opt for alternative ways of dealing with conflicts by using mitsi on one another. For this study, Critical theory and Feminism theory were used to explain the impact of cultural practices in the way that woman are perceived and treated in traditional societies. The study was conducted from an ethnographic perspective using a qualitative method for data collection. This was done in order to fully outline different cultural aspects with full understanding of the people being studied. This study has proved that the excitement of being a makoti is short-lived and has demonstrated how culture is often used to eclipse the voices and choices of traditionally married women in the Swati society with particular reference to the Swati community of Kanyamazane. Makotis who participated in this study have reported experiencing a shift in character upon getting married. Most of these shifts have resulted in there being conflict within the household. They have also reported drastic changes in their relationship with their in-laws after they were married into the family. Some of the v negative experiences they have had with their in-laws include physical altercations, being bad mouthed, name calling, being put under excessive pressure to conform, and many others. Once married, in-laws expect makotis to transition into their role as the newest member of the family. Makotis are expected to change the way they dress, behave, who they associate with and are also told how to treat her husband. Failure to meet any of these expectations will result to makoti being mistreated.
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    The experience of family structure and family change on emerging adults: A focus on single parent households
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Naidoo, Noelle; Graham, Tanya
    This qualitative research study explores the complex dynamics between family structure, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and their impact on emerging adults in South Africa. Through semi-structured interviews, the study investigated the experiences and perspectives of eight emerging adults aged 18-25 as they retrospectively journeyed through changes within their family structure and the adverse childhood experiences encountered along the way. The study is grounded within the theoretical framework of the family stress model (FSM); however, Arnett’s (2000) theory of emerging adulthood is also significant to the study's conceptualisation. The study's findings highlighted several themes, namely, 1) the initial family structure and ACEs experienced; 2) the journey through family structure change; 3) the immediate impact following a change in family structure; and 4) the long-term impact following a change in family structure. The study draws attention to the nuances and complexities of nuclear, single-mother, cohabiting, extended, and stepfamilies while challenging the notion of “normal” and traditional nuclear families. Additionally, the study reveals the significance of changes in family structure and dynamics, such as divorce, separation, and emergence of new partners and stepfamilies, in influencing psychological, relational, educational, emotional, and behavioural outcomes in emerging adults. These outcomes ranged from immediate to long-term impacts, embracing adversities such as child abuse and neglect, witnessing intimate partner violence, financial difficulties, premature maturation, and trust issues. However, the study also revealed positive immediate and long-term effects highlighted throughout the findings, such as improved relationships, stability and security, empowerment, self- development, and optimistic self-reflections. The research study provides deeper insights into family structure changes and their consequences for emerging adults in South Africa while laying the foundation for future research.