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Religion and Social Transformation

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Browsing Religion and Social Transformation by Author "Dlodlo, Nozipho Princess Sibongokuhle."

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    David’s coming of age and masculinity construction: a narrative critical engagement with the episodes of transition from boyhood to adulthood in the David narrative cycle=Ukufika kukaDavid ebangeni lobudala kanye nokuchazwa kobudoda: Ingxoxokuhlolisisa ngezigigaba zendlulelakukhula kusukela ebufaneni kuya ebudodeni kumjikelezongxoxo kaDavide.
    (2021-08-22) Dlodlo, Nozipho Princess Sibongokuhle.; Van der Walt, Charlene.
    This study results from an observation in relation to increasing gender-based violence. This was that men in the institute of the Church and outside were implicated in violent activities. Involvement of male religious leaders in these incidents left this researcher questioning the calibre of men in community. The study explores if there were no great Biblical models for men to follow. Furthermore, this study investigates the process of coming of age, specifically how a boy transitions to be a man, with special focus on King David, a ‘well-known’ figure for men within the institute of the Church and outside. It explores what the transition process entails and what ‘teachings’ or absence of teachings could inform gender-based violence. It offers the uniqueness of combining two theories (coming of age and constructions of masculinity) to read into the David Narrative Text. The study analyses the connection between men, their context and cultural background. It utilises the life of David presented in 1st and 2nd Samuel; focusing on four episodes the author thought integral to conceptualizing the process of coming of age from boyhood to adulthood. It analyzed aspects of coming of age in the life of King David by using narrative analysis as a method to read these texts. In framing this study, selected theories of coming of age and masculinity construction were applied to King David, to begin the reflection of what coming of age entails. This study observed that there are elements from the life of King David that could be emulated; as well as aspects that needed a more detailed read before assimilation to daily life. I argue that some masculine traits (ability to show strength or to be violent, high levels of sexual expression), appear to be the same traits found in men implicated in gender-based violence. Therefore, expectations of what a true man is, appear to clash with how normal people should interact. Men are caught between the expectations of culture and contextual masculine performance. This is both a structural and a systematic problem, which can afflict both men and women. I, therefore, argue that change from the observed could happen if there is a shift to men being at the center of conversations about their coming of age process. This study is essential because it observes a problem in society which is a daily lived reality (the problem of GBV), goes through the rigor of scientific research and then returns to society to argue that men need to be at the center of the conversations around constructions of masculinity and coming of age –– if true change is to be experienced. This study offers those who use the Bible as a reflective surface1for those who depend and seek to consult the Bible in matters patterning to life and more specifically for those who seek to understand the processes of coming of age and masculinity construction. Iqoqa Lolu cwaningo lusukela ekubhekisiseni ukwanda kodlame ngokobulili. Lokhu kudalwe ukubona amadoda asebenza ezikhungweni zesonto nangasebenzi khona ebandakanyeka ezenzweni zodlame. Ukubandakanyeka kwabaholi bezenkolo besilisa kulezi zenzo kwenze umcwaningi azibuze ngobuqotho babantu besilisa emphakathini. Ucwaningo lubheka ukuthi babengekho yini abantu besilisa abaqotho ebhayibhelini abayizibonelo ezingalandelwa ngabantu besilisa. Okunye futhi, lolu cwaningo lubheka inkambiso yokufika ebangeni lobudala, ikakhulukazi ukuthi umfana udlulela kanjani esigabeni sokuba yindoda, kugxilwe ngokukhethekile enkosini uDavide, ‘usaziwayo’ emadodeni angaphakathi esontweni nalawo angaphandle. Lubheka ukuthi inkambiso yendlulelakukhula yenzeka kanjani nokuthi nhloboni yezimfundiso noma ukungabi bikho kwazo okungaba nomthelela odlameni ngokobulili. Lusebenzisa ngokukhethekile izinjulalwazi ezimbili (injulalwazi yokufika ebangeni lobudala kanye neyokuchazwa kobudoda ngokufunda umbhalo ngoDavide. Ucwaningo luhlaziya ukuxhumana phakathi kwabesilisa, nezingxilasimo zabo kanye nemuva losikompilo. Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi kunezimpawu empilweni yenkosi uDavide abangazilingisela kanye nezibonakalo ezidinga ukufundisiswa ngaphambi kokuba zisetshenziswe empilweni yemihla ngemihla. Ngifakazisa ngokuthi ezinye izici zobudoda (ukutshengisa amandla noma ukuba nodlame, noma ukuzifaka kakhulu ezintweni eziphathelene nezocansi) zifana nse nezici ezitholakala kwabesilisa ababandakanyeka ezenzweni zodlame ngokobulili. Ngakho-ke, okubhekeke ukuthi umuntu wesilisa wangempela kumele abe njani kubukeka sengathi kuyashayisana nendlela okumele ukuthi abantu abaphile kahle baxhumane ngayo. Abesilisa bazithola benengcindezi phakathi kokulindeleke ngokosiko kanye nengxilasimo yokuziphatha njengendoda. Lokhu kuyinkinga ephathelene nezinhlaka nokuhleleka, okungaba nomthelela omubi kubantu besilisa nabesifazane. Ngakho-ke ngiyafakazisa ukuthi ushintsho kulokhu engikubonile lungenzeka uma kungaba nenguquko yokuthi abantu besilisa kube yibo abahola izingxoxo maqondana nohlelo lokufika kwabo ebangeni lobudala. Lolu cwaningo lumqoka ngoba lubheka inkinga ephilwa nsukuzonke emphakathini (inkinga yodlame ngokobulili), ngokugxila ngokwesayensi luphinde lubuyele emphakathini lufakazise ukuthi abesilisa kumele kube yibo abahola izingxoxo maqondana nokufika ebangeni lobudala kanye nokuchazwa kobulili besilisa uma kubhekeke ukuthi kube noguquko lwangempela.
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    Sexuality and religion in the novel Oranges are not the only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson.
    (2016) Dlodlo, Nozipho Princess Sibongokuhle.; Settler, Federico Guliano.
    This thesis is based on the novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit authored by Jeanette Winterson in 1985. The auto-fiction novel is about a young girl who is raised in a Conservative Christian background and learns that she is a lesbian. This novel is only a starting point for dialogue on homosexuality in the Church in Africa, in which I use a postcolonial approach and is not in anyway a model to be used in understanding same-sex relations in Africa. The thesis begins its dialogue on the premises of the incoherent voices of the Church in Africa on its standpoint on homosexuality. While the church continues to deliberate on its position on homosexuality LGBTIQ persons continue to be victims of hate crimes, discrimination and society continues to relate to them as mysterious and exotic. The question which is addressed is what issues on sexuality and religions are raised in the novel Oranges and how has the Church in Africa dealing with homosexuality. It is beyond the scope of my study to answer the question of which orientation is right or wrong. The main purpose of this thesis instead is seeking to facilitate a dialogue and develop positive sexual images and conceptions of expression of oneself sexually. In a way this will unburden the body from the expectations of the religious institution and the family institution. I present rising tensions between sexuality and religion in the novel and in the Church in Africa. To accomplish this I made use of books, essays, videos, newspapers, websites and articles published on sexuality, homosexuality, legislation, the Churches and their varied positions and engagements with LGBTIQ persons was read and utilized. The discussions that are on-going and past are twofold: (i) they reveal that the uneasiness around homosexuality, I argued, is rooted in the absence of positive language to talk about the body and sex in heterosexual relations that are supposedly the ‘relations’. (ii) On looking at the homosexuality conversations, I argue they are philosophical and ontological and I argued that this intentionally/unintentionally excludes a certain group of people for an example, those at the grassroots of the community. This, I argue because the hate crimes directed LGBTIQ persons suggests that there is no clear understanding amongst most people of what homosexuality entails substantially. In concluding, I argued that there is an urgent need for narratives of LGBTIQ persons to represent themselves and actively formulate their identities and theology. The agenda of nonv LGBTIQ persons writing as allies to the community are progressive and worth celebrating, however the outsider approach is limited in what they can offer in terms of daily experience and formulation on theology. I acknowledge that there is a lot of work that has been done on the theology of LGBTIQ persons, but not much has been done by LGBTIQ persons themselves. So what we have is theology about homosexuals and not with homosexuals. Lastly, it is recommended for further work that one explores if up-bringing impacts and shapes sexual orientation and to see how Christianity has maneuvered this area. Is there anything in Christian bible that prepares parents and children to understand their bodies and express themselves sexually?