Kuthetha ukuthini ukunyamezela? An autoethnographic inquiry that uses Boal’s concept of rituals and masks to explore how gender-based violence is intentionally or unintentionally perpetuated in intimate partner relationships

Abstract

This autoethnographic inquiry was focused, specifically, on gender-based violence (GBV) in a heterosexual intimate partner relationship. It explored how cultural, traditional, and economic systems operate in ways that may position a woman to become a victim-enabler of GBV in her intimate relationship. It used Augusto Boal’s concept of Rituals and Masks as a method to explore how learned helplessness, resulting from the battered woman syndrome and the operation of structural factors, contributed towards the duality of a woman becoming a victim-enabler of GBV in an intimate partner relationship.

The practical steps taken towards fulfilling these aims included recalling battering experiences to use as prompts for short scenes (rituals) that allowed for role (masks) exploration of the batterer and the battered persons. The research involved creating installations using Rituals and Masks to explore how the role played by the “battered” person enabled and perpetuated GBV due to structural factors. It entailed recording and writing a journal to track thoughts and reflections of the experimental process; sitting with self to listen to the body and mind; and consulting with a drama therapist to assist with processing and grounding whenever I deemed necessary.

This inquiry found that structural factors, through their cyclic operations, played a huge role in encouraging a black South African, Xhosa woman’s unintentional enabling and perpetuating of GBV in an intimate partner relationship. This was evidenced by normalising and excusing GBV, socialised docility and tolerance of abuse as traditional and cultural obedience. The continuous acts of autocratic domination by the batterer, the man, and meek submission by the battered, the woman, created and continued an existing ritual of gender performance by playing prescribed gender roles without questioning or disrupting the monotonous narrative of a man dominating a submissive woman. This reinforcement of gender performance and Rituals and Masks developed into toxic masculinity, which was internalised by the woman through adherence to traditionally prescribed gender roles, bringing about the internalisation of toxic masculinity traits that ultimately developed into toxic femininity. This inquiry also found that Rituals and Masks can be used as a self-reflexive tool.