Magister Artium - MA (Anthropology/Sociology)

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Meaning of place: a case study of congolese male migrants creating a sense of belonging through barbershops in Wesbank township
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Siletile, Bernize; Holland-Muter, Susan
This research study is set to focus on the everyday living experiences of male Congolese migrants who are living in a South African township called Wesbank. The study explores how African transnational migrants, such as the Congolese, create a sense of belonging through barbershop spaces to integrate into the broad community of Wesbank. Undoubtedly, helpful research studies have been conducted in the area (Blommaert et al., 2005; Velghe, 2012; Dyers, 2018). However, no in-depth research focuses on African transnational migrants and how they interpret the meaning of place based on their everyday living experiences. As a result, this research fills that gap by conducting a study on selected male Congolese barbershops in the Wesbank township, with the participants being Congolese barbers and Congolese clients who are the target. The argument of this study posits that male Congolese migrants residing in Wesbank, in their position as African transnational migrants, use barbershop spaces for community-building, to integrate and create a sense of belonging, and to engage in cultural exchange. In summation, Wesbank has become a place that has significant meaning to the Congolese community, and this research study helps us to understand that by exploring their everyday living experiences. Drawing upon the theoretical framework of belonging as a foundation for this research, the study explores the experiences of Congolese migrants and their relationship with notions of belonging, identity, and place. Through participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of Congolese migrants in Wesbank and the use of barbershops to create connections and meanings they ascribe to their location, sense of self, and belonging. The data for this research was collected at the barbershops. The methodological approach that was undertaken by this study was a qualitative approach, given that the research looked at the experiences of male Congolese migrants and their establishment of belonging through barbershops.
Community giving among the !xun san group in Platfontein, Northern Cape, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Nogqaza, Bonelwa; Makhetha, Trevor
The present study deploys the Social Capital theory as a framework to explore the practices of Community Giving among the !Xun San community in Platfontein in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The principal aim of the study was to understand the practices of Community Giving and their meaning to the givers and the recipients in a specific community. The motivations of both giving and receiving were of interest to this study. As a theory, Social Capital is invested in the importance of social relations, human networks in society, social connections and trust as a social ideal. Giving and receiving happen in a social and communal context that can be examined and understood. The proponents of Social Capital theory as it is used in this study are Pierre Bourdieu, Robert Putman, and James Coleman. The qualitative methodological approach was employed in this study to collect the relevant data. Semi structured focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews of individual research participants were utilised as the data collection tools of the study. Key amongst the findings of the study is the importance of human relations, and social networks in the practices of giving and receiving in a specific community. This highlights that the practices of giving and receiving that are pursuant to them vary according to contexts and cultures. The relevance of various factors that influence giving and receiving, including the politics involved, is fleshed out in this study. This study notes that, primarily, the acts of giving may be understood from the values and ethos of the philosophy and practice of Ubuntu, however, a deeper observation reveals the presence and impact of power dynamics and relations that come into play on the ground where giving and receiving take place. Also notable in this study is that the acts and practices of Community Giving are not static but are influenced by changes in the environment, culture, and other socio-geographic factors. A notable and significant limitation of this study is that the research was conducted within a particular group of Xunthali speakers in Platfontein, as such the findings may not be simplistically generalised to the other parts of Platfontein, especially where the Khwe community is located. Over and above the notable limitation, this study, in its limited way, contributes to the literature and scholarship in the discipline and profession of Sociology.
Outside gaymers: queerness, and race in online gaming culture in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Hoosain, Aneesah; Forte, Jung Ran Annachiara
This research project looks at how virtual worlds can provide a space for queer people of colour to experiment with their identities, sexualities and gender. It therefore focuses on how South African queer youth make use of virtual spaces to explore their identities and gender expressions. I ask what experimentation and expression look like in online worlds with their assumed endless potentiality. I examine how gender is expressed and experimented within virtual gaming spaces that are simultaneously considered "safe" and where cyberviolence against marginalised groups is nonetheless present. As the virtual worlds are typically navigated through avatars, this research looks at how identities are rooted in users ’embodied experiences as well as in their offline practices. It explores the roles that gaymers ’physical and digital bodies play in the construction of virtual subjectivities and identity performances. The main participants to this study are South African, non-white youngsters who identify as queer, between the ages of 18 to 26, with particular focus on Cape Town. The online spaces that are studied are those associated with gaming, specifically the action roleplaying game (ARPG) Genshin Impact. In-game experiences are investigated, as well as gamer experiences on social networking sites connected with the Genshin Impact community, such as the gaming forums on Reddit and Discord. Participant observation in gaming environments, conversations, online chats, and face-to-face interviews give valuable insight into gaymers' experiences, their alternative gender representations, creativity and gender expression.
Black women in the city: bodies, spaces and subversion in Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Nqadala, Sisipho; Forte, Jung Ran Annachiara
This thesis explores the experiences of three Black women living in Cape Town, examining how they negotiate, contest, and subvert the city’s racialised and gendered spatial dynamics. By adopting a critical feminist lens, this study underscores the intersection of body politics and spatial resistance by illustrating how Black women shape and reshape everyday neoliberal politics in the urban space in post-apartheid Cape Town. This thesis seeks to contribute to the growing scholarship of Black radical feminism, urban justice and decolonial thought by untangling the nuances of identity and spatial politics. In what ways have Black women living in Cape Town enacted forms of survival, solidarity and defiance? How do they challenge, reconfigure and subvert the city’s socio-political landscape? And how does this inform and shape our understanding of how race, sexuality, gender and class intertwine and unfold in Cape Town? This research highlights women's unwavering commitments to inclusion and equity in the urban space, by making their lived experiences and narratives salient for reimagining urban futures. I contend that these narratives unflinchingly expose the potentialities and possibilities of Black life, intimacy, and body and spatial politics, while reasserting the ongoing systemic legacies of apartheid. Following Saidiya Hartman, my work acknowledges that subjects’ “freedom” and autonomy, always precarious and fragmented, the forms of subjection they beget, and the immense responsibility they require, are an illusion. Therefore, the individual experiences in this thesis do not negate systemic issues, but rather are situated within them. These are not feel-good stories, but narratives that articulate how Black life reiterates itself in post-apartheid Cape Town.
Bullying of refugee learners in South African schools: The perspective of parents from Kivu (Democratic Republic of Congo) living in Cape Town.
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Ntagerwa, Adelina Nakatya; Spicer, Sharyn
Bullying victimization in school settings is a serious issue in many countries hosting refugees including South Africa. And even though bullying is an everyday reality among school learners, research in South Africa has not investigated the kind that mostly targets adolescent refugee learners rather than native-born youth. The prevailing atmosphere of bullying in South African school continuously affect refugee learners ‘health and hinders their integration in school. This study explored how and why bullying victimisation is experienced by newcomer adolescent refugee learners from Kivu province who attend school in Maitland and Parow, in Cape Town. The objective of this study was to understand the effect of social connection in the mitigation of bullying victimization. Hirschi’s social bonds concept was used to understand the role of attachment to parents, teachers and peers, commitment in school activities, involvement in social activities and belief in school rules/policies to deal with bullying and help newcomer refugee learners to integrate in school. The research is qualitative and used participant observation and interviews as tools for data collection. Respondents were parents of children who experienced bullying victimization in schools. This research argues that the combination of social support and connection from educators, parents and peers creates a new identity for learner that is important for their effective integration and well-being.
“The future face of education”: An ethnographic account of digitalisation and its impact on South Africa’s public schooling system
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Vermaak, Wendy Loreen; Ellis, William
In recent decades, the insertion of digitalised schooling practices has been propagated as South Africa’s best solution to successfully address its crisis of education. As such, the digitalisation of the classroom, which is a dominant position held in education policy reform, is believed to be the ‘great equaliser’ of an educational landscape that is marred by an inheritance and persistence of an unequal level of access to resources as well as disparities faced in the quality education provided‒a circumstance that is highly detrimental to the country’s underprivileged communities. However, as these technical systems become embedded within socio-economic and political structures, with powerful actors staking their own vested interests in the expansionist project of digital media in schools across the globe, an important critique emerges in the reimagining of South Africa’s education system: what does this future schooling system look like and who, exactly, is it meant for?
Sensory flows of spice: a multisensory ethnography exploring how spice influences home cooks’ sense of belonging in Cape Town
(Universty of the Western Cape, 2023) Deers, Rhoda; Ellis, William
The history of Cape Town is entangled with the spice trade, slavery, colonialism and orientalism. The Cape cuisine narratives often romanticize fixed cultural cuisines, as seen with the "Cape Malay" cuisine, which is only acknowledged for its connection to a spicy Asian origin story and celebrated for its traditional, authentic, and well-balanced aromatic dishes. These exotic narratives of “Cape Malay” kitchens reflect the past segregation programs of colonialism and apartheid, as the home of Cape Malay remains fixed within the rows of colourful houses at the foot of Table Mountain in Bo-kaap previously known as the Malay quarters. This embellishment of a spicy orientalist narrative of Cape history continues to silence the realities of complex overlapping identities that are held in “coloured” bodies in post-apartheid South Africa. It is these fixed cuisine narratives that begin to unravel when spice is used as a narrator for the Cape. I draw on the works of Edward Said’s contrapuntal reading and offer a reading-back of Cape Cuisine to search for the complexities of social lives and lived experiences.
Animals at work: a multispecies ethnographic study of entanglements of cart-horse labour in Freedom Farm informal settlement, Cape Town.
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Vigeland, Lynné Hazel; Spicer, Sharyn
Human life experiences are closely intertwined with our relationships with other animals and the environment. From the late 19th century to the late 20th century, Cart-horses served as an informal travel market for the community of District Six of Cape Town. However, because of forced migration, the role of horses in the city of Cape Town changed as people`s living experiences changed. Cape Town City Council may have animal laws regulating the ethical treatment of working horses concerning people's living and working conditions. Informal communities like Freedom Farm rely on carthorses, however, this is not necessarily regulated for the benefit of horses. Non-human animals in urban environments offer perspectives for rethinking urban society. Actor-network theory (ANT) is an empirical, research-based interdisciplinary perspective that focuses on the process of translation and the role of non-human actors in various observations and experiences.
Mental health promotion: an exploration of a peer community-based intervention in Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Moodie, Liezl; Obuaku-Igwe, Chinwe
The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 and the accompanying lockdown, social distancing and quarantine measures across the world separated individuals and families from their loved ones. This separation and social isolation also resulted in loss of jobs due to the closure of the hospitality industry and other sectors. It also caused loneliness and anxiety disorders in individuals with pre-existing vulnerabilities. The government of South Africa provided safety nets and social protection in the form of grants to vulnerable groups. Despite these interventions, most individuals who had suffered the worst impact of COVID-19 lockdown on their emotional wellbeing seemed to have been left without adequate access to treatments and coping resources.
Mental health promotion: An exploration of a peer community-based intervention in Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Moodie, Liezl; Obuaku-Igwe, Chinwe
The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 and the accompanying lockdown, social distancing and quarantine measures across the world separated individuals and families from their loved ones. This separation and social isolation also resulted in loss of jobs due to the closure of the hospitality industry and other sectors. It also caused loneliness and anxiety disorders in individuals with pre-existing vulnerabilities. The government of South Africa provided safety nets and social protection in the form of grants to vulnerable groups. Despite these interventions, most individuals who had suffered the worst impact of COVID-19 lockdown on their emotional wellbeing seemed to have been left without adequate access to treatments and coping resources.
Making and remaking life under threat: Disposability, extraction, and anti-black historical processes in old coronation, Mpumalanga
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Rabbaney, Zaakiyah; Gillespie, Kelly
Developed in the 1980s on an abandoned Anglo American coal mine, Old Coronation informal settlement in Mpumalanga is a site of environmental, infrastructural, social, and economic ruin. This thesis looks into the lives of the residents of Old Coronation as they navigate their existence in a scarcely-habitable environment compounded by poverty, joblessness, struggle, and historical and ongoing extractivist processes. The thesis intends to understand the lives of Old Coronation residents as they negotiate survival in a political and economic system, and mineral industry, in which their lives and futures have been abandoned. The main argument is that because of racial capitalism, neoliberalism, and extractivist processes, Old Coronation residents are forced into a life of extreme effort: making and remaking life always against threats, the escape of which only heightens the exposure to further threat.
A sociological study of ideology among the Herero of central Namibia
(University of the Western Cape, 1984) van Rooyen, Johann Willem Friedrich; Welz, S.E; Du Pisanti, S.E
The concept of ideology: as portrayed in the works of various social theorists, is comprised of a wider Yet related, range of meanings and connotations. Despite its lack of semantic precision, the concept is of value for sociological analysis and is of special relevance in the theories of Marx and Weber, both on a descriptive as well as explanatory level. In an attempt to test these two theorists I postulates in a substantive setting, the chief ideological and material influences which have affected the socio-culturaI development of the Herero of central Namibia are surveyed and related to some modern social structures peculiar to them. The study indicates that ideological and material factors have indeed both variously been responsible for significant social adaptations that have occurred in Herero society in recent times. The findings suggest that material impulses have far outweighed ideological stimuli in importance for the greater part of recorded Herero history. It is only since the end of World War II that ideological variables seem to have predominated as causal agents of social change.
?Anything about us, without us, is against us?: An ethnography of the genocide reparations and decolonial movements in Namibia
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Van Wyk, Bayron; Becker, Heike
This thesis explores decolonial memory activism and queer activism in Namibia. It demonstrates how activists have mobilized in intersectional struggles (Becker 2020; 2022) against the structural remnants of colonialism. The activists have pointed to how racist-, patriarchal- and heteronormative hierarchies that were imposed through German and South African colonialisms have remained and are taken even further in the postcolony. In this sense, activists have targeted colonial monuments, colonial laws and the colonization of human remains in their decolonial campaigns. I specifically focus on the #ACurtFarewell petition against the Curt von Fran?ois statue, the formation of the Namibia Equal Rights Movement calling for the recognition of same-sex relationships, and the campaigns by the Namibia Genocide Association (NGA) and other activists for the recognition of the graves of Prisoner-of-War graves to show respect to those who died during Germany?s colonial genocide (1904-1908) in Namibia.
Opportunities of muslim female socio-political interaction in Shariah legislation in the northern Nigerian provinces
(University of the Western Cape, 2001) Martin-Isaacs, Wendy; Gottschalk, Keats
This paper identifies the reasons for the lack of Hausa women's political participation and how women can self-determine regarding social change within their patriarchal societies, by focusing on the socio-cultural factors of religion, age, marital status, and education. The research method is literature based - field research concerning the social realities of Hausa women, interviews with Hausa women regarding their interpretations of their socio-political realities and the interpretation of religious material. Interpretations of Islamic scholars of the socio-religious material of the Qur'an and Ahadith addressed in its historical sphere yet contemporary environment. Findings within the variables were (a) that although Hausa follow the Maliki school of Islamic thought, the infiltration of Wahhabism permeates the religious ideology and culture influencing the position of women b) age determines the position of women within Hausa communities and accords them respect and greater freedom of movement once post-menopausal; (c) most adult women are between marriage and divorce and usually in polygamous relationships, as the rate of divorce increases more women fear being financially destitute and socially outcast as prostitutes for seeking financial security; (d) education for girls differs from that of boys but there is an increase in the attendance at Islamiyah schools which serves as a contemporary method to promote gender ideologies. These results are not unique to Hausa communities, but are a construct of the realm of male dominance and tyranny. There is much emphasis on the natural and biological differences between the sexes and the elaboration of prejudice through social and political institutions.
Possible causes of Divorce in Asmara
(University of the Western Cape, 2003) Beshir, Nuredin Bushra; Spicer, Sharyn
This research project seeks to account for some of the causes of divorce in Asmara Eritrea. The existing law in this country recognizes adultery, desertion and cruelty as serious grounds for divorce. However, this research, which is based on a sample of forty divorced respondents from both genders, reveals a wider spectrum of reasons for divorce. According to these findings, marital conflict related to money matters was the most frequently cited reason for divorce within the sample. This was followed by in-law difficulties, infidelity, spousal violence and lack of love, respectively. The next most frequently cited reason for divorce was behaviour incompatibility and a lack of effective communication amongst conflicting couples. On the other hand, the sexual side of marriage was the least cited marital problem resulting in divorce, followed by childlessness and heavy drinking. In between ranked behaviour incompatibility and lack of effective communication between conflicting couple. Essentially this study adopts a subjective perspective. It reflects respondents' versions of why their marriages failed. It does however attempt to position the subjective experiences of the respondents within the context in which they lived. The latter includes economic hardship due to the recurrent war and the prevalence of traditional double standards and dominations that favour males. Because of these, gender was a significant social category in the study, which has resulted in differences in reporting patterns. Women respondents were mainly concerned with the issue of money matters, in-law trouble, infidelity, the use and abuse of alcohol and violence by husbands. Men on the other hand were interested in authority, sex and love matters in their marriages. These findings more or less parallel Levinger's (1966; cited in Schulz, 1982) research findings. However, there were in some cases marked differences in the reporting pattern along gender lines, and in the over all picture. What was found to be the most significant reason for divorce in the eyes of the women who took part in the present study (such as in law problems) was among the least of marital complaints in the above quoted literature. In summation, this thesis shows divorce as a significant sociological category in Asmara. In this locally unexplored area of study, it reveals not only some of the major areas of marital conflict that lead to divorce, but also the trend of divorce in the city.
Our memories of the liberation war: How civilians in post war Northern Namibia remember the war.
(University of the Western Cape, 2003) Akawa, Martha; Becker, Heike
This research looks at the gap that exists between public representation and personal narratives of the Namibian liberation war. Having observed the absence of private narratives in the grand national memory, I address the questions of how civilians remember the war of liberation and how that shapes their lives in postcolonial Namibia. I am interested in how civilians remember and how they relate the memories and the experience of the past, how they locate themselves in public history and their perspectives on national memory and commemorations. The Namibian government has reconstructed the liberation struggle as one where all Namibians fought against colonialism, but it has excluded and suppressed the memories of ordinary citizens of the country. I conclude that national memory is one-sided as it has not included the memories of all Namibians. The civilians have fought and contributed towards the attainment of independence, but their contributions are neither acknowledged nor rewarded.
Exploring meanings of lesbian spaces in Cape Town and their perceived impact on well-being
(University of the Western Cape, 2008) Stevens, Paschaline M. H.; Gibson, Diana M.
Cape Town is perceived as one of the'gay capitals'of the world, yet many individuals who identify as homosexual still experience danger and harassment in this city in their everyday lives. This qualitative study was conducted with seven lesbians who live in various locations in Cape Town and who belong to different racial groups. The research focused on how lesbians experience and utilise social spaces to the benefit of their wellbeing. This thesis not only explores the meanings they attach to these spaces, it also ascertains that positive associations with places create a sense of wellness for the women in this study. Thirteen indepth interviews were conducted, and the relevant parts pertaining to this research, were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings demonstrate how these women negotiating their sexual identities in public spaces on a daily basis. They are constantly aware of their surroundings which, in tum, determine the level of self-surveillance of their behaviour. When in predominantly heterosexual public spaces, they tentatively display affection towards their partners if they perceive that environment to be potentially unsafe. Lesbian identified spaces are found to be places of safety and comfort for these women and offer the freedom for the exploration of their sexual orientation. I also illustrate that these women are not passive bystanders being subjected to potential violence, take control of their personal safety. They demonstrate agency - they cope with, and live beyond the threat of harassment and hostility.
Exploring the effectiveness of distance learning as an alternative to mainstream education for disabled children in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Jones, Yumnah; Obuaku-Igwe, Chinwe
The implementation of inclusive education by the South African government has been inspired and mandated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While South Africa was among the first United Nations members to ratify this human rights treaty, the challenges associated with the implementation of an inclusive education are so dire that there are 600,000 children living with disabilities that are out of school, with an increasing need to identify an alternative solution to include learners living with disabilities in the education system. This study explores the extent to which distance learning bridges the learning and development gap for disabled learners who are unable to get into mainstream schools.
Amagqirha nemicimbi: The art of healing
(University of Western Cape, 2021) Kokoma, Zikhona; Forte, Jung
Amagqirha have been understood solely through the framework of health and illness. Their image is tainted and they are misrepresented as clad bone throwers and mystical scammers. There are very few studies that focus on their involvement outside the context of healing. This study seeks to fill this gap revealing the artistic side of amagqirha. I contend that by focusing on the ritual space which includes song, dance, fashion, poetry and story telling, allows us to reveal the aesthetics of ubugqirha, reconstructing the meanings of traditional healers in contemporary South Africa. Where does knowledge about ritual practice come from? What role do intergenerational narratives play in the meanings of amagqirha? In what ways do the rituals of amagqirha are grounded in a disctinctive aesthetics? With the use informal conversations, close interviews and participating in the rituals of amagqirha in the townships of Nyanga, Khayelitsha and Langa, this thesis argues that traditional healing is a complex form of being in the world which draws heavily from intergenerational knowledges. Furthermore it is artistic in its nature as it includes dance, songs, fashion and poetry.
Commissioned women soldiers and politics in Zimbabwe
(University of the Western Cape, 2020) Ziyambi, Gabriel; Gibson, Diana
The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), are strongly interlinked in politics since independence, that is, the Army largely functions as the military wing of the party (ZANU-PF) and the state. The ZNA is also deeply involved in civilian politics. This study examines the experiences of commissioned women soldiers, as well as their understandings of power and politics in the ZNA. While many male soldiers are in positions of power and authority in the military, party, state, and civilian politics, commissioned women soldiers are marginalised in all of these areas. The role and position of women soldiers in this regard nevertheless remain under-researched. In this thesis I interrogate the complex processes and relations of power which discipline women soldiers and exclude them from processes of power and politics in the ZNA. I argue that there are various practice and discourses which affect women soldiers? roles in the military. To do so, I draw on Foucault?s (1977) work on power/ knowledge, particularly the concepts of practices, relations, power and panopticism to examine how woman soldiers? aspirations regarding power and politics are monitored and restricted in the military. I also draw on Enloe?s (2000) work on power politics and Sasson-Levy?s (2003) work on military gendered practices as interpretive and critical paradigmatic approaches to analyse how women experience hegemonic military masculinities in- and outside the army. The study employed ethnographic methods such as life histories, in-depth interviews and informal conversations with ten commissioned women soldiers in the ZNA. These methods were triangulated to corroborate responses from research participants and the data was thematically analysed

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