Magister Philosophiae - MPhil (Women and Gender Studies)

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    The construction of masculinity and risk-taking behaviour among adolescent boys in seven schools in the Western Cape
    (University of the Western Cape, 2006) Jeftha, Alethea; Shefer, Tamara; Women and Gender Studies; Faculty of Arts
    The term, risk-taking, has often been used to describe some of the behaviours and their associated negative outcomes occurring during adloscence. Statistics have shown that South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection in the world, with most infections occurring during adolescence. The central aim in this study was to explore the relationship between current constructions of masculinity and risk-taking behaviours among a group of young South African men. It was an exploratory study, focused on exploring how young men construct their masculinities, and how this intersects with or impacts on adolescent male risk-taking behaviours. A key conclusion drawn at the end of this project was that some traditional notions of manhood still held sway, and these tied in strongly with how these participants constructed their masculinity.
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    An exploration of women's experiences in senior management in the petroleum industry South Africa
    (University of the Western Cape, 2017) Nefdt, Anthea Carol; Clowes, Lindsay
    There are relatively few women in senior leadership or management positions in South African industry. The oil industry is no exception to this and could in fact be considered to exemplify the ways in which women are marginalised. This small-scale qualitative project aims to explore challenges and experiences women face when entering senior management positions in the Petroleum Industry in Cape Town. The main objective of the study is to explore how gender (and other relevant subject positions) impacts on women's career development and opportunities. I used a qualitative feminist methodological framework and conducted a total of 12 semi-structured interviews with women employed in upper management positions in the 8 oil companies in the greater Western Cape area including the South African Petroleum Industry Association and Department of Energy (SAPIA). A thematic data analysis was then utilised to interpret the data. My findings show that many women perceive the route to success as difficult yet possible suggesting that the popular ''glass ceiling'' conceptual scheme should be replaced by the ''labyrinth of leadership'' model discussed in Early and Carli 2007 with relation to the oil industry. Further findings suggest that although the oil industry provides unique challenges to women as a gendered organization, it also incorporates various progressive initiatives for their advancement.
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    An exploratory study of experiences of parenting among female students at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa
    (University of the Western Cape, 2011) Ngum, Funiba; Shefer, Tamara; Women and Gender Studies
    Advancement in education has ensured that there is parity in terms of enrolment for both females and males at tertiary institutions. However, women students continue to face challenges to advancing in education. Given that South African society remains highly gendered and that universities are historically male-dominated sites that do not necessarily cater for the particular needs of women (or children), one area of challenge may relate to having to balance parenting roles with the demands of being a student. For example, at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), students with children are prohibited from access to the residences, leaving them with no option but to seek alternative accommodation, where they can remain with their babies or look for childcare support from their relatives. While there is a growing body of work on the experiences of school-going pregnant and parenting learners, there is little work in the South African context of the experiences of women who are both parents and students at tertiary institutions. Since the national education system clearly supports and encourages life-long learning, an investigation into the conditions and experiences of learning for parenting students is important. The focus on women students was motivated by existing findings that show how normative gender roles persist and that women continue to be viewed as the primary nurturers with respect to the care of children. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of motherhood among young female students at UWC. The study was situated within a feminist social constructionist framework and a feminist qualitative methodology was employed. Two or more interviews were conducted with a group of eight participants, selected by convenient sampling, and aged between 18 and 30 years, each with a child or children under the age of five years. Interviews were conducted at the participants choice of location and at a time that was convenient to them. All interviews were audio-recorded and the tapes were kept safely in the researchers home. All standard ethical procedures for research with human subjects were followed. Data was transcribed verbatim and a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted. Key themes were elucidated and data presented thematically. The key challenges cited included time management, self motivation and the social demands of being a mother. These tend to have adverse repercussions on academic excellence. The analysis revealed that though the young women are allowed to return to universities after becoming mothers, they face many challenges in trying to balance motherhood and the demands of schooling. Furthermore, the findings highlight the tension and ambivalence experienced by participants as they negotiate the social and cultural expectations of motherhood and their personal reality, in meeting the demands of motherhood as student mothers. In their struggle to meet the social and cultural expectations of motherhood, they placed tremendous emotional and physical stress upon themselves which manifested as guilt, physical exhaustion, psychological stress, physical illness and the desire to leave studies notwithstanding the value they attached to it. Although the participants challenged these expectations in various ways, the underlying nuances when they recounted their experiences, remain embedded in these societal and cultural expectations. However, in voicing their experiences, it was clear that they were not always simply accepting the status quo but at times challenging it, and thereby deconstructing the myths of motherhood that are so salient in current social and cultural contexts. The study also found that student mothers at UWC, at least on the basis of this small sample - do not appear to receive sufficient support on campus (physically, materially and emotionally). The study concludes that this group of student mothers face serious challenges as mothers and students and, further, that these challenges are exacerbated by the continued social expectations of women to be perfect mothers which, together with the material gender inequalities in sharing parenting care, could impede effective academic studies. The study recommends that universities play a stronger role in alleviating the challenges for such students. In addition, it recommends that more research be conducted in the area, possibly longitudinal studies, as well as studies that may be more generalisable.
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    An exploratory study of women's experiences and place in the church: a case study of a parish in the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (CPSA), diocese of Cape Town
    (University of the Western Cape, 2006) Sparrow, Isabel; Clowes, Lindsay; Ryan, Mary; Women and Gender Studies; Faculty of Arts
    This mini-thesis is a small-scale exploratory case study into the experiences of eight mature women members of a particular parish in the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (CPSA) situated in the Diocese of Cape Town. Using qualitative feminist research methodologies, this study sets out to explore how this group of non-ordained women perceives their roles in the church structure. The study examines what initially attracted the participants to this parish and what motivates them, despite the challenges, to continue performing their voluntary licensed and unlicensed roles in the church. It then goes on to consider the contradictory ways in which their roles as individuals, gendered as women, serve to simultaneously reinforce and challenge the patriarchy of the church. In this respect the participants often held conflicting views within themselves, thus demonstrating the complexities surrounding such issues. Upon reflection the researcher acknowledges that, similar to the participants, she also holds contradictory views on some of these issues. The research therefore identifies and explores three main themes in this regard, firstly the reasons why women originally joined the parish church, secondly the ways in which these women are active in the church and lastly the ways in which women’s activities simultaneously challenge and reinforce the patriarchy and continued male domination of church.
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    Gender and small-scale enterprises following economic reforms: a case study of Dar-Es-Salaam
    (University of the Western Cape, 2002) Iddi Mangi, Namini Scholasticka; Clowes, Lindsay
    This study is about Gender and small-scale enterprises following recent economic reforms in Tanzania. It deals with a case study of women entrepreneurs in Dar-es- Salaam, focusing on their prospects and problems, and the mechanisms they use to survive in a competitive free market. There is concern among policy analysts and gender activists that the economic reforms have negatively affected women entrepreneurs more than their male counterparts (Tibaijuka, 1992). However, these concerns have not yet been substantiated through detailed empirical evidence. The findings of my study reveal that it is a combination of factors which lead women entrepreneurs to establish small-scale enterprises. These motivating reasons are to fulfil the needs of their families such as school fees of their children. Similarly, Tanzanian women entrepreneurs start a small business so as to supplement their insufficient incomes, achieve independence and as a substitute to paid employment. However, they experience a variety of problems, such as the lack of business premises, high rental costs at commercial areas, competition, lack of start-up and working capital from banks and micro-financial institutions, lack of information, and bureaucracy around business licenses. Women entrepreneurs have developed various tactics to handle such difficulties they encounter in their businesses. These are: locating their enterprises in near or around their homes, employing relatives and other people, charging competitive and differentiated prices, diversifying their businesses, working for extra hours, and establishing informal credit associations. The recommendations are: the government should clarify and shorten the procedures of licenses and business premises acquisition, provide more commercial areas with cheaper rentals. Similarly, the government should be sympathetic towards women when it formulates and implements its developmental policies, women should be informed about available training opportunities. Future studies should investigate a larger sample of women entrepreneurs in small-scale enterprises involved in other sectors using the feminist research methods.
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    Gender-aware policy and planning: a feminist analysis of aspects of the Mental Health Care Bill, 2000 and the Skills Development Act, 1998
    (University of the Western Cape, 2000) Orner, Phyllis; Potgieter, Cheryl; Rendall-Mkosi, Kirstie; Women and Gender Studies; Faculty of Arts
    No abstract available.
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    The performance of advanced level schools for academically talented female students in Tanzania: An evaluative analysis
    (University of the Western Cape, 2002) Njau, Anna John Malasi; Stander, Christen
    This study is an evaluative analysis of the performance of Advanced Level (A-level) female students in schools for the academically talented in Tanzania. The pass rates of female students at Advanced Level in such schools are consistently lower than those of males, particularly in mathematics and science. The available literature on special schools in Tanzania is very limited. There are a number of related resources available concerning, for example, performance indicators for primary and secondary schools. This study would add to the sparse literature concerning factors which influence the performance of both female and male Tanzanian students who are academically talented. The study gives attention to feminist perspectives within an educational evaluation framework. This is because evaluation is a process of determining to what extent particular educational objectives are actually being realised. It is based on student performance, curricula and instructional materials, school personnel, educational programmes and projects, education institutions and organisations. The main argument of the thesis largely draws on a liberal, socialist feminism and empowerment approach to education and seeks to explain and change historical systems of sexual differences according to which females and males are socially constituted and positioned in relations of hierarchy and antagonism (Haraway, 1989). Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, and by observation. Both quantitative and qualitative thematic content was used to analyse data. The respondents in this study involved four special schools (two for female and two for male students) with ten participants from each school. The data obtained from male students was used for comparative purposes. The sample also involved four heads of schools, two teachers from each school, two zonal inspectors (Eastern and Central zone) and the director of secondary schools. The study reveals that male students' performance in special schools is better than their female counterparts. The reason for this is inadequate provision of teaching and learning materials such as textbooks and an uneven distribution of teachers in schools for female which leads to a high teaching workload. In addition, there is a shortage of female graduate teachers who can act as female role models. Other factors include social cultural aspects and differential gender expectations for males and females in a society. All of these issues disadvantage females in relation to male students. This study r~commends that the government through the responsible Ministry should: increase the resources to these schools so as to create conducive learning environment for students and teachers; ensure even distribution of graduate teachers; encouraging more females to enroll in science and mathematics subjects; in order to be role models for younger students and recruit more� female graduates teachers specialised in science and mathematics. Future research should involve all special schools as well as other ordinary schools both private and public with a large sample.
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    The performance of advanced level schools for academically talented female students in Tanzania: An evaluative analysis.
    (University of the Western Cape, 2002) Njau, Anna John Malasi; Stander, Christen
    This study is an evaluative analysis of the performance of Advanced Level (A-level) female students in schools for the academically talented in Tanzania. The pass rates of female students at Advanced Level in such schools are consistently lower than those of males, particularly in mathematics and science. The available literature on special schools in Tanzania is very limited. There are a number of related resources available concerning, for example, performance indicators for primary and secondary schools. This study would add to the sparse literature concerning factors which influence the performance of both female and male Tanzanian students who are academically talented. The study gives attention to feminist perspectives within an educational evaluation framework. This is because evaluation is a process of determining to what extent particular educational objectives are actually being realised. It is based on student performance, curricula and instructional materials, school personnel, educational programmes and projects, education institutions and organisations. The main argument of the thesis largely draws on a liberal, socialist feminism and empowerment approach to education and seeks to explain and change historical systems of sexual differences according to which females and males are socially constituted and positioned in relations of hierarchy and antagonism (Haraway, 1989). The study reveals that male students' performance in special schools is better than their female counterparts. The reason for this is inadequate provision of teaching and learning materials such as textbooks and an uneven distribution of teachers in schools for females which leads to a high teaching workload. In addition, there is a shortage of female graduate teachers who can act as female role models. Other factors include social cultural aspects and differential gender expectations for males and females in a society. All of these issues disadvantage females in relation to male students.
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    Women Parliamentarians perceptions of political influence in the South African Parliament
    (University of the Western Cape, 2006) Angevine, Sara; Clowes, Lindsay; Women and Gender Studies; Faculty of Arts
    In this study, I examine how women Parliamentarians understand their political influence within the South African Parliament and what environmental factors contribute to this understanding. Currently, South Africa is a global leader for the amount of women in Parliament and has been since the 1994 democratic transition. This study examines the formal and informal factors that South African women parliamentarians discuss as helping and hindering their political effectiveness.Aside from the work of Hassim (2003) and Pandor (1999), little academic research explores the experiences of women within South Africa’s Parliament. Considering this lack of research regarding women’s experiences within government, I selected a research method that would allow an open space for communication: semi-structured interviews with a qualitative feminist analysis. This study explores the opportunities and obstacles that the women perceived as affecting their political influence.The participant’s responses indicate that they perceive a high level of political influence, with some reservations. Four themes emerged as the leading environmental factors in contributing to the participant’s political efficacy: the 1994 democratic transition, the Parliament structure (formal and informal), the political party, and the role of gender.The informal structures of Parliament, such as socializing spaces, and gender stereotypes, such as the responsibility of women Parliamentarians for ‘women’s issues’, were discussed as the primary obstacles that hinder the women Parliamentarian’political influence.The participants felt that the attitudes of political parties regarding women’s role in Parliament was critical in facilitating their influence on the political agenda. The women Parliamentarians credited primarily the African National Congress (ANC) political party for framing and developing an atmosphere that mandated women’s strong participation in government and their positive perceptions of political influence.