- School of Social Science, UKZN
- 0027 31 2607657
Professor Maheshvari Naidu
University of KwaZulu-Natal, Anthropology, Faculty Member
This paper discusses the background and the histonJ of a small sample of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in uMzimkhulu in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Through the use of life histories, the paper presents the rich... more
This paper discusses the background and the histonJ of a small sample of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in uMzimkhulu in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Through the use of life histories, the paper presents the rich background of the TBAs, describing their individual'calling' and thezr apprenticeship to become isangoma (traditional healers). The paper discusses how the women come to be identified as TBAs as well as the spiritual dimensions of being a TBA practitioner. The use of life histories as a methodologtj was vaiuable in the study as it gave the TBAs an opportuniltj to share thick descriptions of their lives, lived experiences, practices and rituals. Findings reveal that traditional medicine plays a 'silent role' in the health care system as many pregnant women in the African communi h) continue to seek traditional sources of health care as in the case of uMzimkhulu, where many of the pregnant women preferred to use medicines prepared by TBAs for their pregnancies.
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Whether formally categorized as refugees or not, displaced migrants experience varying degrees of vulnerability in relation to where they find themselves displaced. The internally displaced furthermore squat invisibly and outside the... more
Whether formally categorized as refugees or not, displaced migrants experience varying degrees of vulnerability in relation to where they find themselves displaced. The internally displaced furthermore squat invisibly and outside the boundaries of the legal framework and incentive structures accorded to those classified as ‘refugee’. They are thus arguably, by and large, left to source sustaining solutions for themselves. This article works through the theoretical prism of sense-making theory and works through the notion of crisis as a ‘cosmology episode’ (see Weick 1993). For Weick, a ‘cosmological episode’ occurs when people are suddenly and profoundly plunged into an awareness that the universe is no longer a rational and orderly system and experience themselves as being in a state of crisis. Crisis sense-making is in turn understood as a social process and a communicative phenomenon present in individuals’ interaction with their (disrupted) and sometimes violent life-world, whic...
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Abstract: This is an exploratory paper that probes the relationship between segments of the local Hindu population and small groups of Hindu transnational migrant workers, based in the predominantly Indian suburb of Reservoir Hills,... more
Abstract: This is an exploratory paper that probes the relationship between segments of the local Hindu population and small groups of Hindu transnational migrant workers, based in the predominantly Indian suburb of Reservoir Hills, Durban, in KwaZulu Natal. The paper ...
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Particular communities and groups of people develop particular prevailing points of view, including how health and illness is understood. Our prevailing points of view, ‘worldviews’ or positioning, are a result of the ‘dialogue’ between... more
Particular communities and groups of people develop particular prevailing points of view, including how health and illness is understood. Our prevailing points of view, ‘worldviews’ or positioning, are a result of the ‘dialogue’ between us and our wider society (see Creswell 2009:8) and is a process of “active construction” (Fox 2001: 23). As such, we approach reality from our particular point of view which has been constructed and developed over time (see Rosaldo 2003:583). Different societies have in turn, their specific practices and beliefs, as well as their approach to health and illness (see Naidu 2013: 257; Naidu 2014: 147; Vaughn, Jacquez, and Baker 2009: 65). As Whyte, van der Geest and Hordon (2002: 118) assert, many factors “influence people's response to ill-health, including entrenched beliefs”. As such, the understanding and approach to illnesses vary from one society to another, one setting to another, and one belief system to another. This paper looked at what is...
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Male circumcision, or removal of the foreskin, is a rite of passage in many communities, and one that is entangled and steeped in tradition and culturally (constructed) normatives and deeply embedded expectations. Male medical... more
Male circumcision, or removal of the foreskin, is a rite of passage in many communities, and one that is entangled and steeped in tradition and culturally (constructed) normatives and deeply embedded expectations. Male medical circumcision is a much more recently initiated medical procedure that is promoted in sub-Saharan Africa as part of the arsenal of HIV / AIDS preventative strategies meant to aid in combating the rampant spread of the pandemic. Many scholars point to the Higher Education context as (already) being a space for experimental and risky sexual behaviours. Male university students in turn comprise an important communitt; in interventions against HIV /AIDS and medical male circumcision is seen as one such intervention. This study proceeds through the lens of social constructionism and the qualitative narratives shared by young Black African (circumcised) university students, to shed light on male students' understanding of the 'benefits' of medical male circumcision or MMC. The findings reveal that while some students see the benefits of medical circumcision in the context of reducing susceptibility to sexually transmitted diseases and HIV I AIDS, other students believe that they are rendered insusceptible and 'immune' and cannot contract the disease due to being medically circumcised, additionally compounding and placing the male students and their partners at serious risk. The study shows how densely knitted constructions of African masculinity and manhood circulating within the campus may potentially retard the health benefit effects of medical circumcision by throwing light on male students' sexual practices at the University ofKwaZulu-Natal.
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The current study unravels religious practices, politics and perceptions as forms of multiple identities within and amongst different types of migrant groups in South Africa. Using purpose sampling from members of the Christ Assembly... more
The current study unravels religious practices, politics and perceptions as forms of multiple identities within and amongst different types of migrant groups in South Africa. Using purpose sampling from members of the Christ Assembly Church of Africa, we explore how the appeal to religion is a form of identity construction that differentiates Congolese from other groups of migrants. We utilized social identity theory in showing how Congolese use religious practices at the mentioned church to assert and reaffirm their identity and use it as a form of resilience to any external threat to the existence of their ‘culture’. Our findings reveal that there exists a complex relationship between religion and Congolese refugees in Durban that is an identity maker that acts as a form of mobilization and resilience to any form of external threats to the identity of the Congolese community in Durban. Furthermore, our findings reveal that the negotiation and construction of Congolese identity through religious practices at Christ Assemblies Church of Africa can play an important role in determining how prejudices and behaviour that reject, exclude and often vilify persons based on the perception that they are outsiders or foreigners to the community are constructed.
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In their recent article, Sharma and Jain (2013) make the point that leadership and management are twinned, complementary and inextricably linked, or as they put it, “Go hand in hand”. They go a step further though and draw from Warren... more
In their recent article, Sharma and Jain (2013) make the point that leadership and management are twinned, complementary and inextricably linked, or as they put it, “Go hand in hand”. They go a step further though and draw from Warren Bennis' list of the differences between 'the leader' and 'the manager' and state that while the manager administers, the leader innovates, and where the manager is a copy, the leader is an original (Sharma and Jain 2013). One completely agrees with this, for as Sharma and Jain assert, the leader's task is to inspire and to motivate. This essay will use the theoretical prism of intertextuality and work through the leadership framework above, as put forward by Sharma and Jain. The essay will attempt to show how this understanding of a leader and leadership is a potentially valuable lens to appreciate the spiritual leadership of the Hindu saint popularly known globally as Amma (Mother). The paper will show that Amma as a Hindu 'guru', is a particular kind of leader who fits many of the contexts that Sharma and Jain describe within their leadership model. The paper will attempt to further show that the saint known as Amma, typifies a unique and particular kind of charismatic feminine power and female leadership that both inspires and motivates millions of Hindu followers the world over. Key Words : mother, feminine, leader, spiritual, female leadership
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This article seeks to examine the Madurai marriage myth in temlS of what marriage does to the goddess Meenakshi. I do not offer a descriptionption of the annual ritual marriage as such and the reader is directed to the studies of Dennis... more
This article seeks to examine the Madurai marriage myth in temlS of what marriage does to the goddess Meenakshi. I do not offer a descriptionption of the annual ritual marriage as such and the reader is directed to the studies of Dennis Hudson and William Harman for excellent ethnographic accounts of the Divine marriage. I will instead attempt to show that in the context of Madurai, Siva's marriage alliance with Meenakshi serves to bring the god to Madurai, and more importantly, keep the god there. The tala puranic text constructs Siva's marriage to a local bride, and into the local community thereby forging an alliance between Siva and the Pandyan kingdom, who come to be represented by the local devotees.
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Abstract: Nidan aspires to critically engage with, and celebrate contemporary Hindu Studies as a scholarly discipline in which broad questions are addressed across the Humanities and Social Sciences in rigorous scholarly exercise. By... more
Abstract: Nidan aspires to critically engage with, and celebrate contemporary Hindu Studies as a scholarly discipline in which broad questions are addressed across the Humanities and Social Sciences in rigorous scholarly exercise. By inviting scholars in the field to offer ...
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This article probes the rural economic development approach in selected informal settlements in Durban and how such approach affects the vulnerability of local Black women to flood impacts within the areas. Qualitative data for the study... more
This article probes the rural economic development approach in selected informal settlements in Durban and how such approach affects the vulnerability of local Black women to flood impacts within the areas. Qualitative data for the study were gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 25 local Black women from Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu and Umlazi. Five key informants from the eThekwini (Durban) metropolitan municipality were also interviewed. Findings from the study showed that although there is improved economic development in the selected settlements, which constitute informal settlements designated for Black South Africans during the apartheid era, such an economic development approach has not significantly improved the livelihoods and adaptive capacity of the local women. The article suggests a multidimensional approach to development that is practical, inclusive and equitable, and addresses local women’s challenges associated with climate adaptation and sustainable livelihoods.
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abstract In recent times more embodied and seemingly more participant-empowering research methodologies such as body mapping have been used in a bid to allow greater agency to the ‘researched’, within the ‘researcher-researched’ dyad.... more
abstract In recent times more embodied and seemingly more participant-empowering research methodologies such as body mapping have been used in a bid to allow greater agency to the ‘researched’, within the ‘researcher-researched’ dyad. While the non-traditional methodology of body mapping does attempt to change the inherent and embedded power dynamics in the research process by offering a more participatory methodology, where the participant actively contributes to the narrative about her, the researcher’s own critical subjectivities also need to be factored into the process. This focus piece draws attention to how the use of feminist methodologies such as body mapping can also impinge on the research process and inadvertently erode the agency of the participant. By drawing on a qualitative study with a group of Black African women it shows that even when an ostensibly feminist methodology is employed, agency and constraint are not fixed but are shifting realities to be (re)negotiated between researcher and participant. The paper thus attempts to problematise the research process within the context of (attempting to) do feminist research and using a methodology such as body mapping.
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abstract This focus piece works on a micro-level and is based on a qualitative study with four differently-abled young Black African women living at a university hostel in South Africa. The piece proceeds through their stories, taking as... more
abstract This focus piece works on a micro-level and is based on a qualitative study with four differently-abled young Black African women living at a university hostel in South Africa. The piece proceeds through their stories, taking as a starting point that ‘ethnographies of the particular’ offer a critical and intimate window into how these young women self-interpret and attempt to (re)claim their sexuality. The young women's excavated narratives testify to how both ‘sexuality’ and ‘disability’ have been co-constructed within the able-bodied community, which in a sense works to ‘erase’ their sexuality and render them both asexual and sexually invisible. The recovered narratives also reveal that disability is deeply imbricated within gender and gendered regimes of aesthetics. The narratives further expose fissures in their reclamation stories, as they also show up instances of ‘internalised oppression’ alongside other life-affirming aspirations and ideas of romance, love, sexual liaisons and motherhood.
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This article explores the experiences of local Black African women in adapting to flood impacts within the Durban metropolitan area. The article is premised on the realisation that women and men experience climate change differently, as... more
This article explores the experiences of local Black African women in adapting to flood impacts within the Durban metropolitan area. The article is premised on the realisation that women and men experience climate change differently, as persisting gendered inequities affect women's adaptive capacity to climate change impacts. The study adopted a qualitative approach to research. Twenty-five local Black African women from four localities in Durban and five key informants from eThekwini municipality participated in the study through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. A qualitative content analysis approach was employed to elicit analytical themes and interpretations from the interview manuscripts in light of the research questions and the study's contexts. Findings from the study show that despite the experiences of poverty, lack of access to information, and persistent gender inequity in the study's contexts, the women's situated knowledge and agency have transformed lives and livelihoods and increased climate resilience and overall well-being. We conclude that a much more appropriate and intentional approach to local Black women's adaptation needs can yield much more effective, successful, equitable, and long-term climate change adaptation.
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The deepening levels of poverty in Zimbabwe have resulted in high numbers of Zimbabwean women migrating to South Africa in the hopes of securing better wages and job security. Most of these migrants end up working in the informal sector... more
The deepening levels of poverty in Zimbabwe have resulted in high numbers of Zimbabwean women migrating to South Africa in the hopes of securing better wages and job security. Most of these migrants end up working in the informal sector with limited income, high levels of insecurity, and a lack of protection against gender-based violence and xenophobia. Regardless of the adversities that these women encounter, they often display resilience and adaptability. Based on semi-structured interviews with 22 Zimbabwean migrant women, this article documents how these migrant women navigated some of the vulnerabilities and challenges they encountered. Instead of always being constrained by different structures of violence, this article unpacks the women’s strategies to ensure their survival.
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Feminist movements had as their imperative, the redress of the political, economic and social asymmetries experienced by women. Within the literature in the West, a wave model has been popularly used to describe both the kinetic... more
Feminist movements had as their imperative, the redress of the political, economic and social asymmetries experienced by women. Within the literature in the West, a wave model has been popularly used to describe both the kinetic chronology as well as the gestation of the earlier movement from those of the latter.
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This article assesses how adaptation governance within the eThekwini (Durban) metropolitan municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, addresses the vulnerability and adaptation of black African women to flood impacts within the... more
This article assesses how adaptation governance within the eThekwini (Durban) metropolitan municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, addresses the vulnerability and adaptation of black African women to flood impacts within the municipality. The article argues that there is an intersectional lens through which black local women's experiences of vulnerability to the impact of climate change disasters need to be understood and addressed. Qualitative research methodologies were employed to collect data through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with local black African women from four areas in Durban who have experienced frequent floods over the past years. Personnel from eThekwini municipality's Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department and Disaster Management Department were also interviewed. The feminist political ecology perspective was used to unpack the nuances in power relations that engendered black African women's vulnerability and adaptation to flood impacts within the municipality. The study's findings revealed that the overall vulnerability experiences of black African women in Durban are shaped by factors relating to the lack of an 'intentionally gendered' approach to adaptation governance in the municipality. Adopting an intentional approach to adaptation governance is essential to inform policies responding to local black Africans' vulnerability and adaptation experiences within the study's context.
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The papel' seeks to apply a semiotic lens in interrogating the branding strategies and positioning that tour-operators bring into play in advertising what is referred to as cultural tourism in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South... more
The papel' seeks to apply a semiotic lens in interrogating the branding strategies and positioning that tour-operators bring into play in advertising what is referred to as cultural tourism in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The aspect of cultural tourism under the gaze is the Zulu dance narrative positioned as an African Experience at Phezulu Cultural Village, created for, and marketed as, African culture within global tourism consumption. The paper is delimited to focus on the female performers and probes the particular signification through branding, of this supposed alterity of Zulu woman. The study is premised on the assumption that the female body in this context has been appropriated as a site of colonial re-signification which seeks to keep her in these traditionally constructed (Zulu) ethnically dressed and
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Forced internal displacement is a tenacious social ill that has gripped many communities in many sub Saharan African countries and Kadane (2011, p.49) contends that internal displacement is " a symptom of state dysfunction... more
Forced internal displacement is a tenacious social ill that has gripped many communities in many sub Saharan African countries and Kadane (2011, p.49) contends that internal displacement is " a symptom of state dysfunction ". This paper argues that, contrary to the picture portrayed by the government of Zimbabwe, internal displacement, as one form of (forced) migration within a country's borders, is more prevalent in the country than is at first discernable. The paper offers an overview of the current scholarship on the forced mobility of particular categories of people in Zimbabwe and critically sketches and contextualizes the work has been done in the area. The paper in turn argues that while education for the internally displaced people (IDPS) is a critical area of concern for organisations like UNICEF; the fact that the mobility and migration of IDPS are rendered invisible in Zimbabwe, makes the basic human rights of IDPs and the children of the IDPs such as their right to (access) education, easier to ignore by the Zimbabwean government.
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This qualitative article aims at unraveling the impact of displacement on the access to (quality) education. The article is premised on the inherent role played by education to equip displaced children with functional skills and act as a... more
This qualitative article aims at unraveling the impact of displacement on the access to (quality) education. The article is premised on the inherent role played by education to equip displaced children with functional skills and act as a liberating force in the face of forced displacement. Using purposive homogeneous sampling from Hopley and Caledonia settlements for internally displaced people (Zimbabwe), the article attempts to evaluate effects of displacement on the quality of education or access thereof. The article uses inter-textuality as a method to complement empirical evidence with reviewed literature. The Capability Approach is applied to assess the implications of forced migration on the provision of (quality) education. In terms of the Capability Approach, quality education is measured through the actual achievements realised by any human being who has been exposed to it (education). Therefore, the Capability Approach posits that every human being has the inherent potential to be who they aspire to be when exposed to a conducive environment. In the context of this article, access to quality education is an enabling environment. The findings indicate that displacement is invariably detrimental to the provision of quality education. Moreover, this condition enhances the vulnerabilities of forced migrants as education is critical, instrumental, and of intrinsic value to the socio-economic development of its recipients. This being so, the impact of displacement on internally displaced persons’ access to quality education is a topical issue worthy of discussion so as to chart relevant solutions to the varying contexts of displacement.
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Involuntary human mobility within and outside national borders continue to raise connotations of these migrants being dispossessed of more than their physical shelter. In 2005, the Zimbabwean government demolished hundreds of buildings,... more
Involuntary human mobility within and outside national borders continue to raise connotations of these migrants being dispossessed of more than their physical shelter. In 2005, the Zimbabwean government demolished hundreds of buildings, which it had condemned as illegal through a program code named Operation Murambatsvina. Likewise, for the people dislodged by this program, the article contends that internal displacement did not only lead to loss of shelter but also denied them their inherent dignity and rendered them ‘invisible’. In turn, this heightened their susceptibility to deprivations that are synonymous with forced migration. Therefore, this article aims to explore the forced migrants’ perspectives of the effects of displacement on their lives vis-à-vis the above contentions. It mainly seeks to address the displaced people’s perceptions and socially constructed meanings of internal displacement. This qualitative article is based on empirical data gathered from Hopley and Caledonia settlements in Zimbabwe. The essay uses purposive sampling and snowballing to capture the people living in displacement. The article’s findings indicate that displacement births adaptive preferences which are used to counter the negative effects experienced due to the conditions in their settlements. Despite the conspicuousness of Hopley and Caledonia residents’ type of shelter, the article also establishes that internal displacement has ironically increased their invisibility both within and outside Zimbabwe. The article determines that their ‘invisibility’ is manifested through waning interest by institutions mandated to safeguard their assistance and protection, which exposes them to heightened vulnerabilities.
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The paper attempts to probe the experiences of a small sample group of Christian and Hindu women by working through what is termed the "mothering mandate" and "roles of conformity". It attempts to problematise the... more
The paper attempts to probe the experiences of a small sample group of Christian and Hindu women by working through what is termed the "mothering mandate" and "roles of conformity". It attempts to problematise the issue of self and identity within the context of the woman's articulation of her religious persona inside the margins of the textual and societal role dictates of her particular religio-cultural complex. By listening to the ethno-narratives of the women, examples of the material contexts of discursive power which operate on women within particular religions, are brought to light.
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This article seeks to revisit the RE or Religion Education policy that has been the focus of much robust and sustained discussion in South Africa since 1993 and which was eventually published in August 2003 and meant to be implemented in... more
This article seeks to revisit the RE or Religion Education policy that has been the focus of much robust and sustained discussion in South Africa since 1993 and which was eventually published in August 2003 and meant to be implemented in the year 2005. The article explores the context for the establishing of a particular religious school, the private Westville Hindu Primary School as a model of religious education against the background of religion education in public schools. The paper examines the rationale behind the initiation of such a school and the response on the part of the parents and young learners. It probes the need and meaningfulness for such a school in light of the position papers and present inclusion of the study of religion in South African state schools.
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Mapping informal settlements’ diverse morphological patterns remains intricate due to the unavailability and huge costs of high-resolution data, as well as the spatial heterogeneity of urban environments. The accessibility to... more
Mapping informal settlements’ diverse morphological patterns remains intricate due to the unavailability and huge costs of high-resolution data, as well as the spatial heterogeneity of urban environments. The accessibility to high-spatial-resolution PlanetScope imagery, coupled with the convenience of simple non-iterative clustering (SNIC) algorithm within the Google Earth Engine (GEE), presents the potential for Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) to map the spatial morphology of deprivation pockets in a complex built-up environment of Durban. Such advances in multi-sensor satellite image inventories on GEE also afford the possibility to integrate data from sensors with different spectral characteristics and spatial resolutions for effective abstraction of informal settlement diversity. The main objective is to exploit Sentinel-1 radar data, Sentinel-2 and PlanetScope optical data fusion for more accurate and precise localization of informal settlements using GEOBIA, wi...
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Accurate and reliable informal settlement maps are fundamental decision-making tools for planning, and for expediting informed management of cities. However, extraction of spatial information for informal settlements has remained a... more
Accurate and reliable informal settlement maps are fundamental decision-making tools for planning, and for expediting informed management of cities. However, extraction of spatial information for informal settlements has remained a mammoth task due to the spatial heterogeneity of urban landscape components, requiring complex analytical processes. To date, the use of Google Earth Engine platform (GEE), with cloud computing prowess, provides unique opportunities to map informal settlements with precision and enhanced accuracy. This paper leverages cloud-based computing techniques within GEE to integrate spectral and textural features for accurate extraction of the location and spatial extent of informal settlements in Durban, South Africa. The paper aims to investigate the potential and advantages of GEE’s innovative image processing techniques to precisely depict morphologically varied informal settlements. Seven data input models derived from Sentinel 2A bands, band-derived texture ...
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Forced internal displacement is a tenacious social ill that has gripped many communities in many sub Saharan African countries and Kadane (2011, p.49) contends that internal displacement is " a symptom of state dysfunction... more
Forced internal displacement is a tenacious social ill that has gripped many communities in many sub Saharan African countries and Kadane (2011, p.49) contends that internal displacement is " a symptom of state dysfunction ". This paper argues that, contrary to the picture portrayed by the government of Zimbabwe, internal displacement, as one form of (forced) migration within a country's borders, is more prevalent in the country than is at first discernable. The paper offers an overview of the current scholarship on the forced mobility of particular categories of people in Zimbabwe and critically sketches and contextualizes the work has been done in the area. The paper in turn argues that while education for the internally displaced people (IDPS) is a critical area of concern for organisations like UNICEF; the fact that the mobility and migration of IDPS are rendered invisible in Zimbabwe, makes the basic human rights of IDPs and the children of the IDPs such as their right to (access) education, easier to ignore by the Zimbabwean government.
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To optimise water as a "vehicle" for development, strategies are necessary that are appropriate in a situated African setting. On the one hand, many African scholars advocate public governance that is rooted in... more
To optimise water as a "vehicle" for development, strategies are necessary that are appropriate in a situated African setting. On the one hand, many African scholars advocate public governance that is rooted in African philosophy and culture. This type of governance is viewed as potentially capable of employing indigenous knowledge systems that are familiar to African people and local communities. On the other hand, some scholars posit that Africanisation should not be a total rejection of certain progressive western concepts. This article, in turn, attempts to demonstrate the importance of community-based water resource governance as a resource for Africanisation and the basis for community development, while acknowledging the challenges to the realisation of this goal. Using rhizomatic discourse analysis, the article connects seemingly diverse arguments to suggest the efficacy of Africanising water resource governance. Citing several examples from the African continent, the article argues for using locally available indigenous and scientific methods of water use and distribution. The article provides a rationale for using storytelling to shape the narratives and actions that enable communities to solve their water conflicts or challenges. The article concludes that while localising water governance and peacebuilding is key, due to technological advances it is practical to merge some western methods of water governance with locally based initiatives.
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High rates of sexual coercion among female students in institutions of higher education are a global concern. Although this phenomenon is universal, female university students’ experiences and reactions to coercive sexual practices vary... more
High rates of sexual coercion among female students in institutions of higher education are a global concern. Although this phenomenon is universal, female university students’ experiences and reactions to coercive sexual practices vary greatly due to differences in geo-socio-cultural milieus in universities. This study investigated the extent to which female students acquiesced or resisted gendered codes of sexual conduct during experiences of sexual coercion. Using mixed methodology, the study drew on the narratives of 341 female students and three key informants from a Zimbabwean university. The study’s findings revealed that female students showed significant levels of acquiescence to gendered sexual norms and coercive sexual practices. This suggests that normative sexual practices embedded in university cultures subordinate women’s sexuality, resulting in their vulnerability and acquiescence to coercive sexual practices. However, despite being positioned in a restrictive contex...
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This paper utilizes critical theory to interrogate and problematize the practice of anonymising research sites as an ethical imperative. The contributing authors conduct research in and with various communities in southern Africa,... more
This paper utilizes critical theory to interrogate and problematize the practice of anonymising research sites as an ethical imperative. The contributing authors conduct research in and with various communities in southern Africa, position themselves and work from and within diverse areas and specialities of the social sciences. This article is developed from their rich and wide spectrum of field experience with a great diversity of communities, but mainly the poorer, under-resourced, socially and economically marginalized. The authors strongly identify with these communities whose anonymity in published research is seen as marginalizing. Such research sites are places and communities where these researchers grew up and live in, and thus not just as peripheral or ‘out there’ entities. Therefore, the naming of research sites in this context is deemed as being ethical, out of respect for participants, for a contextually embedded understanding, and for well-targeted interventions and p...
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This article probes the rural economic development approach in selected informal settlements in Durban and how such approach affects the vulnerability of local Black women to flood impacts within the areas. Qualitative data for the study... more
This article probes the rural economic development approach in selected informal settlements in Durban and how such approach affects the vulnerability of local Black women to flood impacts within the areas. Qualitative data for the study were gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 25 local Black women from Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu and Umlazi. Five key informants from the eThekwini (Durban) metropolitan municipality were also interviewed. Findings from the study showed that although there is improved economic development in the selected settlements, which constitute informal settlements designated for Black South Africans during the apartheid era, such an economic development approach has not significantly improved the livelihoods and adaptive capacity of the local women. The article suggests a multidimensional approach to development that is practical, inclusive and equitable, and addresses local women’s challenges associated with climate adapt...
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………………………………………………………………………… Abstract Although studies on the influx of refugees in South Africa have elicited numerous works, no analysis adequately accounts for the views of Congolese on the role of South Africa"s peace... more
………………………………………………………………………… Abstract Although studies on the influx of refugees in South Africa have elicited numerous works, no analysis adequately accounts for the views of Congolese on the role of South Africa"s peace building interventions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is an empirical paper that systematically draws on the insights and views of Congolese refugees in the South African cities of Journal of African Foreign Affairs (JoAFA)
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This article seeks to revisit the RE or Religion Education policy that has been the focus of much robust and sustained discussion in South Africa since 1993 and which was eventually published in August 2003 and meant to be implemented in... more
This article seeks to revisit the RE or Religion Education policy that has been the focus of much robust and sustained discussion in South Africa since 1993 and which was eventually published in August 2003 and meant to be implemented in the year 2005. The article explores the context for the establishing of a particular religious school, the private Westville Hindu Primary School as a model of religious education against the background of religion education in public schools. The paper examines the rationale behind the initiation of such a school and the response on the part of the parents and young learners. It probes the need and meaningfulness for such a school in light of the position papers and present inclusion of the study of religion in South African state schools.