Browsing by Author "Morrell, Robert Graham."

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An analysis of change in the management practices of school principals in the context of an external intervention from 1977 to 2000 : case study of the Imbewu project in the eastern Cape province.
(2008) Adonis, Agrinette Nolwandle.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This study focuses on a large-scale, foreign-funded education intervention, the Imbewu Project (IP). This project was funded by United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID) and was implemented in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa between 1997 and 2000 in close consultation with the Eastern Cape’s Provincial Department of Education (ECDE). The impact of the project is examined through the eyes of the primary school participants, principals, teachers and members of School Governing Bodies. The major concern of the study is to explore the impact of the intervention on the management practices of schools. The study examines those factors which promoted or undermined the efficacy of the IP. Cluster or multi-stage sampling was used for sampling schools from which respondents for questionnaires were selected. A total of 250 copies of the two questionnaires (200 for teachers and 50 for school principals) were sent to selected schools. Out of these, 33 were filled in and returned by school principals and 119 were filled in and returned by teachers. Convenience sampling was used for sampling the schools from which interviewees were selected. Five (5) principals, eight (8) members of the school governing bodies, 15 key teachers and 15 non-key teachers were interviewed. A largely descriptive research design was used to explore the views and perceptions of principals, teachers and school governing body (SGB) members about changes in the management practices in their schools. School documents from the schools used for interviews were analysed in order to corroborate the information given by the respondents. The training materials used by the IP were closely aligned with the imperatives identified in the South African Schools Act (1996). The education management development (EMD) modules of the IP and the management areas in the South African Schools Act (1996), for example, suggests that the IP training programme was guided by official policy. The IP programme was therefore appropriate for supporting and enhancing the work of the ECDE in improving school efficiency and for the transformation of education in the schools. Advanced age, lengthy experience and the poor quality of teacher training tended to limit the optimal impact of the IP. The IP training helped principals and SGB members to understand their roles in the school and to participate more effectively than before. In the IP, while the quality of the training was perceived as good, it appeared that the duration did not allow for assimilation and in-depth understanding of the content. In addition, the cascading model of training was regarded as a threat to the successful implementation of the IP as it distorted and reduced the amount of knowledge that reached the majority of teachers in the schools. Principals did not warmly support the transformation agenda that forced them to work with SGB members who were often poorly informed about school matters. However, principals were ready to use the SGBs in aspects such as mobilizing parents to attend meetings and providing security for the school that were not directly related to their own management work. Principals continued to wield power in the SGBs because they were superior to all parent members of the SGBs in terms of academic qualification, expertise, and official information. The heads of departments (HODs) in the schools were not targeted for the IP training. Consequently, most of them had to be trained by their teachers in the IP activities at the schools. The fact that these HODs were not trained in the IP meant that their professional authority in the implementation process of IP activities was undermined as they had to depend on their teachers regarding these activities in their departments. This tended to undermine the institutionalization and sustainability of the intervention. Poverty proved to be a serious challenge to the success of the IP intervention in the most disadvantaged schools. The poorest schools were unable to take full advantage of the IP intervention in terms of training manuals and learning material compared to those which were better off. There was therefore a tendency for the IP to inadvertently promote and increase inequalities.
Boys' narratives of violence in a technical high school in Chatsworth, Durban.
(2004) Hamlall, Vijay.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This thesis is an analysis of the way a small number of grade 12 boys understand violence and how they describe and locate it in the narratives of their own masculinity. Semi-structured interviews with grade 12 boys attending a Technical School in Chatsworth were conducted and analysed in order to establish how these boys relate to violence in their lives and respond to their experiences of violence at home and in school. The school learner population consists of African, Coloured and Indian learners. The current racial composition of the learner population is as follows: 18 % - African, 8% - Coloured and 74% Indian. The entire staff is Indian and the majority are male. This study focuses particularly on physical violence at home and in school. The research also examines what the boys say about violence against the girls at the school. The major findings from the boys' narratives of violence at home are that the perpetrators of physical violence at home were the men. The physical violence experienced by the boys at school among peers has racial overtones. The Indian boys are the main perpetrators of violence and use violence to intimidate, threaten and dominate other boys in school. The African and Coloured boys although capable of violence seem to construct their masculinity in non-violent ways. Teachers are complicit in the enactment of physical violence in school. Physical violence against girls in school is non-existent, however girls are verbally harassed and abused. This study finds that race and ethnicity influences the manner in which masculine identities are constructed in school and that violence is intertwined into the construction of the boys' masculinities. This study will hopefully raise awareness of the importance of including a focus on masculinities in violence intervention strategies.
A case study of integrated schooling within an ex-model c primary school in the area of Bluff 1995-1999.
(1999) Rabichund, Shalina.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
No abstract available.
Closing the gender gap : examining the reasons for performance differences in mathematics between Std 7 girls and boys in the Qacha's Nek District - Lesotho.
(2002) Molise-Sehlabi, 'Make Aloyisa 'Maselloane.; Ige, Busayo Olamide.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
There is a concern in Lesotho about inequalities in different sectors including inequalities that exist between females and males in schools. Closing the gender gap between males and females, girls and boys is the government's priority, hence the recent Gender and Development Policy, 2002. The project was conducted with the purpose of exploring the reasons that contribute to pupils' gendered performance in mathematics. In this regard, the focus was put on reasons behind girls' poor performance in mathematics. This report presents and discusses the results of a research which was conducted in Qacha's Nek - Lesotho. The project made some observations based on the questionnaire data gathered from four primary schools. The data provided some useful insights into girls' attitudes, behavior and perceptions towards mathematics, and it also provided insights into teachers' attitudes, expectations and perceptions about girls and their learning of mathematics. The research also provided evidence that there are different social factors that contribute to girls' poor performance in mathematics. Some of those factors concern parents, teachers, classroom process, peers and girls themselves. The analysis of the results and subsequent discussion suggests reasons that may be useful in terms of helping to explain pupils' gendered performance in mathematics and in the continued search for strategies that could improve girls' poor performance in this subject. Schools could be creative in the strategies that they can adopt to tackle gender differences. With this in mind, teachers and pupils were asked to suggest possible solutions that could be employed in trying to combat the problem of the gendered performance in mathematics hence noticeable improvement in girls' performance in this subject.
Constructions of masculinity among young sporty boys : the case of KwaZulu-Natal Preparatory School's first rugby team.
(2007) Bowley, Barbara Anne.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This study is an analysis of the manner in which preparatory school boys construct their masculinities through the sport of rugby. The study is based on interviews with the entire First XV rugby team of Connaught Prep School. Sport and rugby in particular are seen as an important cog in the masculinity-making process for men but this is also true for young boys. Rugby in South Africa is regarded as a sport that real men play. Historically played primarily by white men, it remains a marker of hegemonic masculinity. In their involvement in the Connaught Prep.s First XV, boys affirm the importance of the sport, act out the values associated with the sport and display the skills required to play the sport successfully. The thesis argues that sport, and in particular, rugby, is a central feature of boys. constructions of masculinity. Due to the physical nature of rugby and the hype that surrounds and the support that is given to the sport, it has become part of the hegemonic culture of boys at Connaught Prep School. But hegemonic masculinity is not fixed; it is contested and changes. The 1st XV rugby team and its members are an important part of the process that gives content to the masculinity that is hegemonic at Connaught Preparatory. The boys try and live up to the ideals of masculinity that they see on television, hear from and see in their fathers and find in other boys. In selecting a set of sporty values, these boys perpetuate rugby as the preferred sport and a rugged school boy masculinity as the hegemonic made gender identity of the school. While the 1st rugby team try to aspire to the ideal hegemonic masculinity at the school, they cannot meet the ideal rugby masculinity and this renders them vulnerable. They are vulnerable to physical injury and also to the humiliation of heavy losses against rival teams. Susceptible to these conditions makes their construction of masculinity a delicate and fragile situation to be in. While the boys contribute to hegemonic masculinity they also, at times, undermine it by contributing to a counter hegemonic masculinity. These are the boys that stress playing sport for fun (rather than winning), are caring, and develop friendships through the sport. The findings of this study, brings to light the importance of sport in the development of a young boys. masculinity and the vulnerable and fragile situation these boys find themselves in as a result.
Discipline in a KwaZulu-Natal secondary school : the gendered experience of learners.
(2007) Msani, Mhlope Cynthia.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
The study explores and describes perceptions of learners in a secondary school on how discipline is enforced at Hintsho, with particular attention to gender. Corporal punishment is one of the methods of discipline that is still used at Hintsho. The issue of corporal punishment is a sensitive one since its use is now illegal. In the course of the study the researcher interviewed learners about this and other forms of discipline. Data was collected through interviews with ten Grade eleven learners. Access was enabled by the position of the researcher as a teacher of over ten years’ standing in the school. The study found that some teachers (especially males) still beat learners in order to enforce discipline and keep order. This occurs despite the fact that the school has formally prohibited the use of corporal punishment and has passed a code of conduct to encourage the use of alternative disciplinary forms. Learners confirmed that other forms of discipline and punishment are indeed used. But these are generally corporal punishment in another guise. Hard labour, for example, was identified by learners as a frequent form of punishment. While some learners accepted the various forms of punishment that were used, others opposed both corporal punishment and the other forms of punishment introduced as an alternative, especially the cleaning of toilets. Male teachers proved to be stricter and more severe than females as they were less tolerant and less reasonable.
Educator, learner and the abolition of corporal punishment in a rural isiZulu-medium school in Harding, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2005) Ndlovu, Gugu Hildegard.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This thesis examines the impact of the abolition of corporal punishment on boy behaviour in a rural IsiZulu-medium school in Harding, Kwazulu-Natal. The school is made up of black learners and educators. As far back as we can remember, corporal punishment has been part of a teacher's function. When corporal punishment was abolished by the South African Act of l996, many teachers were aggrieved, as they believed that corporal punishment was the only answer to disciplinary problems. Many educators still believe that corporal punishment should be used to make learners respect them and curb deviant behaviour. Altematives to corporal punishment have been provided as a way of bringing change to schools' disciplinary practices. These alternatives to corporal punishment haven't been popular with parents, educators and learners. There is a call for the restoration of corporal punishment in spite of the negative impact such punishment has on a learner. The South African Government has made it illegal to use corporal punishment as a way of addressing or instilling change. This study examines the effects of the abolition of corporal punishment, and more specifically, looks at whether the abolition has had a positive effect on school discipline, boys' behaviour and, more broadly, on gender relations. Using questionnaires and interviews posed to both educators and learners, the research suggests that boy's behaviour is shaped and influenced to a large extent by the following factors: (a) Home back ground, (b) The society/environment, (c) The history of the education system, (d) School practices and discipline policies and (e) Hegemonic masculinities. The type of punishment that is used also contributes towards shaping boys behaviour. The study finds that the abolition of corporal punishment has had both a positive and a negative impacts on schools' discipline and boy behaviour. The study shows that one of the intended consequences of the abolition of corporal punishment (the improvement of the teacher learner environment) has not been achieved and in fact, may have become worse as a result of the abolition of corporal punishment. Leamers are more undisciplined now than before. Educators fail to exert authority over learners as boys have as increased disregard for the rights of others. There is a high frequency of late comers and the school is functioning poorly. Educators feel that they lack the authority to discipline leamers as they are not allowed to use corporal punishment. Academic performance is low in both internal (grade 8-11) and external (grade 12) classes. There is increased graffiti and vandalism. Learners fail to attend studies and extra lessons and during breaks they are very noisy. Most learners experience difficulty using English as the medium of learning and teaching. Learners seem to have no interest in academic work although the majority of learners participate in extra mural activities. A few of the learners and educators have responded positively to the abolition of corporal punishment. Some of the educators have changed their disciplinary methods and practices. They have resorted to alternative methods of punishment like detention, discussions and getting leamers to perform menial tasks. The use of non violent methods of punishment have yielded a slight change in boy learners. Some of the boys seem to be obedient, they conform to school rules and are responsible and committed to their work. Some learners, who displayed violent behaviour before, have become passive and display acceptable behaviour. This study finds a thin but steady line of change in boys' behaviour and in gender relations in the school. The abolition of corporal punishment appears to create democratic spaces which allow new perceptions and practices of discipline to emerge and these assist in the emergence of new masculinities.
Educators' views on HIV and AIDS and sexuality education in a middle class primary school in the Durban area.
(2010) Naicker, Minalyoshini.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This study examines how educators in a primary school view the teaching of HIV and AIDS and sexuality in the context of delivering the LO curriculum. It seeks to establish whether the educators are properly trained for and supported in their tasks and further seeks to establish their attitudes towards teaching these sensitive subjects. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with eight Life Orientation (LO) teachers who work at CJ Primary School (CJPS) in Durban. CJPS is a well established school that formerly served only a white learner community. Since the early 1990s its racial demography has changed and it is now racially mixed with Indian learners constituting a slight majority. The school offers classes from Grade 0 to Grade 7. The teachers interviewed for this study were all involved in teaching LO in the senior primary phase and all had delivered lessons on HIV/ AIDS and sexuality. The sample comprised one African, one White and six Indian teachers and was made up of three males and five females. The school timetable includes two LO periods a week (i.e. 2 hours per week is devoted to LO) and evidence suggests that teachers are serious about the teaching they do in these periods. It was found that levels of both pre and in-service training in the areas of HIV and AIDS and sexuality and gender were low. Only 2 out of the 8 teachers had been trained in HIV and AIDS and sexuality education. 5 of the 8 educators had received some form of training, (weeklong workshops, for example) but many still felt unconfident about teaching sexuality. Although national policy for teaching HIV and AIDS and sexuality does exist and the school also has its own set of policy documents relating to the LO curriculum, most of the teachers had not seen the national documents and were unaware of the school's policy. HIV and AIDS and sexuality are themes which are taught across the curriculum but rather cramped into one term's allotment of LO lessons which results in a lack of depth being achieved. Understandings of sexuality were basic and generally devoid of 'gender'. It appears as though the female teachers were more enthusiastic about teaching HIV and AIDS and sexuality than were the men and the lone African educator was the most strident in demanding that the school devote more attention to these subjects, possibly because in her own life she had already directly encountered the ravages of the pandemic. There is some competition within the curriculum about which subjects should get the most attention and priority. Generally speaking, language teaching and mathematics were considered more important than the LO.
The effects of education policy change on the practice of corporal punishment in a rural school in KwaZulu-Natal : the case of Amaqadi Combined Primary School.
(1999) Mkhize, Zimisele Eugene.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This study examines the attitudes and perceptions of students who are beaten or physically punished at Amaqadi C.P. School. The response of the school to the South African Schools Act no 27 of 1996 ruling against the exercising of corporal punishment of students is assessed. Observations, interviews, questionnaires and the school record books were the research tools used in this thesis. Most students and teachers favour the continued use of corporal punishment. Even the provincial education minister has shown support for its retention. Various reasons are given by the teachers and students for their support of corporal punishment. Evidence suggests that students are beaten because of the lack of alternative ways of discipline and because corporal punishment is still routinely used in the home. There are many reasons for the retention of corporal punishment in this school but most of these rest on parents, teachers and students.
The effects of violence on academic achievement : a case study of Amandlethu secondary school.
(2000) Mahlobo, Vusumuzi.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This study examines the role played by violence in poor academic achievement. Violence perpetrated by the stakeholders, i.e. teachers, pupils, the community, is the main focus of this study. The matric results of the school, over the last six years, are looked into. The observation reveals a constant decline in matric passes. Observations, questionnaires and interviews were the research tools used in this study. Pupils experience a lot of violence at school, perpetrated by teachers and fellow students. Outside the school premises most of the violence is perpetrated by gangs. Boys are more frequently the victims of violence. Girls experience most violence in the home. Pupils believe that violence does not affect their academic work. This unexpected finding can be explained by referring to widespread violence in the area and to violence being common in the recent past. Respondents have experienced violence so much that, to them, it has become a norm. This is why they do not attribute their poor academic performance to violence. Some of the respondents have been exposed to gruesome violence in most cases culminating in maiming and loss of life. Acts of violence, like slapping, sexual harassment and threatening, are not considered to be violence at all. Levels of school violence are escalating, and academic results are declining. This research project suggests that there may be a relationship between these two trends.
Entering the teaching profession as a woman : some student perceptions.
(1992) Shepherd, Maryna Bell.; Moller, Valerie.; Morrell, Robert Graham.; Posel, Rosalind.
The overall aim of this research is to probe, and attempt an understanding of, women student teachers' choice of teaching as a career. Because of various limitations, this research is no more than an exploratory study, which, hopefully may contribute to a deeper appreciation of teaching as a worthy career. This researcher's own feminist perspective has determined the questions asked in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative research was undertaken, in order to answer the central question of this research: How do some women students at Edgewood College of Education perceive the teaching profession and their role in it? It became obvious that teaching is perceived by too many as a short term job, rather than as a long-term career; but when circumstances governing teachers' employment, coupled with the influences of a patriarchal society are considered, this perception is perhaps not unexpected. Some tentative recommendations are offered to counter this negative perception of teaching as a convenient, but temporary job for women.
An ethnographic study of teenage pregnancy : femininities and motherhood among pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers at school in Inanda.
(2012) Nkani, Frances Nomvuyo.; Bhana, Deevia.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This study has focused on pregnancy and parenting of 10 African young women between the ages of 16 and 19, from one of Inanda schools. Drawing from ethnography, the study explores these young women's choices of boyfriends, the circumstances that led to their pregnancy, the socio-cultural influence during pregnancy and at childbirth, kind of support they receive at home, school and boyfriends and experiences of pregnancy and motherhood. An examination of how they balance their varied roles as mothers and learners as well as the effects of pregnancy and parenting to their schooling. Although the South African Schools Act (Department of Education 1996) regulates the support of pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers in schools, the data reveal that pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers still experience challenges in schools. These challenges range from being stigmatised, discriminated and humiliated by teachers and peers, lack of support from teachers, decline in academic performance as well as the inability to participate in school's extra-mural activities. However the study reveals that there is some degree of institutional support which accounted for the teenage mothers' overall performance and achievement; there are some teachers and learners who provide some kind of support to the pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers. The thesis further argues that motherhood is very demanding, challenging and very disruptive of the young mothers' schoolwork; but the young mothers indicate self-determination and resilience to find ways of successfully juggling motherhood and schooling. On the other hand, the young fathers understand their social role as that of being a provider for the child and the care giving is only for womenfolk. Some of the young men acknowledged the importance of the young mothers' completing their schooling and realized that they needed support other than financial provision. The young men, however, do not provide the childcare themselves; they shift the caring responsibility to their own mothers. The focus on the pregnant and teenage mothers draws attention to possible ways of providing more support in order they fare better in their education for better chances of employment and gender equity.
Female violence amongst learners' in Durban schools : educators' perspectives.
(2004) Virasamy, Jean.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
Violence in schools is an everyday occurrence and, for the most part, it tends to be regarded as a male issue. There is little indication in media or research reports that female learners perpetrate violence in schools. Research suggests that school violence is caused by male teachers or learners, takes place amongst males and tends to be of a physical or sexual nature. There is, however, a less prominent body of international work, which has begun to explore female aggression and violence at schools. Thus far, there has been little comparable research in South Africa. The thesis is an exploratory study of female violence in schools. The subject is approached by examining the perceptions of male as well as female teachers in primary and secondary schools in Durban.
Frustrated careers? : the perceptions of female educators at a Durban primary school.
(2003) Maharaj, K.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
The study examined perceptions of female educators at a primary school in Durban, with regard to issues of gender equality. The literature review revealed that women educators have faced great injustices regarding past educational policies (before 1994) and the nature of gender biased practices both in society and within the school systems. The study highlights some of the main barriers, both intrinsic and extrinsic, faced by women teachers which prevented their upward mobility in the profession, thus determining their perceptions of their present career status. It also focuses on strategies that women educators perceived in helping to advance in their career as a teacher thereby achieving satisfaction. The research consisted of a quantitative phase which included the use of self-completion questionnaires to determine the perceptions of the female educators to their present career status. The data collected was used to develop strategies women teachers can use to advance their careers. The findings revealed that there were two groups of teachers each with different set of perceptions. The younger generation of teachers did not experience intrinsic barriers and displayed more satisfied perceptions of their career. The older generation of teachers seemed less satisfied with their present career status. Both, however agreed that organizational constraints (extrinsic barriers) affected their advancement in the profession.
A gendered analysis of the casualisation of teachers' work in a transitional society, Durban, South Africa. 1993-4.
(1998) Edigheji, Sharon.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This thesis describes the casualisation of teachers' work (in Greater Durban) during the period of the democratic transition in South Africa. It provides evidence that contract teaching exists among men and women teachers employed in primary and secondary schools. These teachers are relegated to the secondary labour market with low income, poorer working conditions and lack of job security. It begins by adopting an electic theoretical approach, combining labour process and interactionist theories, to understand teachers' work. From this eclectic theoretical perspective, it is argued that contract teachers control and influence over their work is considerably eroded by the casualisation of the teaching labour process. However, unlike existing international studies, it is argued that casualisation of teaching in the Durban area serves not only as a deskilling process for most contract teachers but also as a re-skilling process for a few. Furthermore, this study shows that contract teaching has a gendered dimension. Not only because women teachers are mostly affected by casualisation of teaching but that it tends to relegate women to the primary school system where they teach young children. It is therefore argued that the casualisation of teaching extends women's mothering role into the classroom. The historical basis for casualisation of teaching, in South Africa, especially its gender dimension is a result of the 'Marriage Bar 'of 1912, the legacy of the Bantu Education system and the non-standardisation of teachers' qualifications until the 1980s, as well as the education policy flux during the period of political transition. Because contract teaching has existed over a long period, it has to be acknowledged as a sub-category of the national teaching corps. This means that the contribution of contract teachers towards the formation and transformation of the capacity to learn should not only be recognised and accordingly rewarded by education authorities but that casualisation of teaching should constitute an area for further academic research.
The gendered assumptions of national and provincial policy documents in South Africa : teachers, sexuality and HIV/AIDS education in schools.
(2005) Catelle, N. F.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
In the recent past, teachers in South African secondary schools have begun to give lessons on life skills, sexuality and HIV/AIDS. The lessons are located within the curriculum in the learning areas of Life Orientation and Life Skills. These lessons are guided by policy documents which regulate what, when and how much information the learners must have access to. Issues explicitly concerning gender are addressed in these lessons as well. Although policy documents provide clear guidelines as to how policy should be implemented, teachers are still experiencing difficulties delivering life skills, sexuality and HIV/AIDS lessons. Consequently lessons pertaining to these issues are usually minimised in favour of less sensitive topics. Many reasons have been suggested for the poor implementation of these lessons, some of which include inadequate teacher training, a lack of support structures and services, and teacher attitudes and beliefs. Although the way policy is implemented is cause for concern, this dissertation focuses on the assumptions about gender that are concealed by policy documents, which in turn, impacts on the way these documents are interpreted and implemented by teachers. The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse national and provincial South African education policy documents for the gendered assumptions they make about teachers of life skills, sexuality and HIV/AIDS education. Although policy documents are "based on principles of gender equity" (Tallis, 2000: 58), this research tries to establish whether any gender assumptions exist about teachers of life skills, sexuality and HIV/AIDS education, that limit how effectual these policy documents are at the stage of implementation. The gendered neutrality of these documents conforms to the requirements of the South African Constitution, in that they are non-discriminatory. Given the inequalities of the apartheid era, it is possible to regard the use of genderless language in policy documents as progress towards the goals of gender equity. However, not differentiating between males and females is also problematic. Unequal gender power relations that exist between males and females ensure that their experiences are not the same. There are unintended consequences that flow from the use of gender-neutral terminology in policy documents and these include that the gendered realities of teachers are not taken into account and this may well be a reason for the reluctance or inability of teachers successfully to teach lessons on sexuality and HIV/AIDS.
The gendered perceptions of women in management positions in a primary school in the KwaDukuza (Lower Tugela) region.
(2007) Mthembu, T. P.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This study explores how women in management are perceived especially in a Kwa-Dukuza Lower Tugela primary school (with the pseudonym, Mbonisweni). Mhonisweni is situated 5 kilometers away from my school. I was motivated to conduct this study by the negative perceptions of women in management positions that I detected in my own school (with the pseudonym, Vela). Vela is a new primary school, which was established as a result of overcrowding at Siyathuthuka senior primary school, which was at first a combined primary school. I was interested to see if a similar situation pertained at Mbonisweni and to find out what might he the reasons for any negative perception of women managers. Data for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews with eight educators from Mbonisweni Primary, including the principal of the school, 4 management team members and the 4 educators (two females and two males). The study found that evidence of some negativity towards the school principal and in some cases such negativity was based on gender stereotyped attitudes. The situation was not, however, simple. Prior to conducting the research I had anticipated that there might be strong support from female HODs and educators for the female principal (manager) but this was not uniformly the case nor was it the case that all males in the study were opposed to the female manager. The situation was more complex. Three quarters of the males interviewed supported the female management although their support did not mean that male teachers were in necessarily in favour of gender equity more broadly nor did it preclude some men from expressing view that could be seen as sexist. While three quarters of the females interviewed also supported the female management it was clear that no encompassing bond of sisterhood exited by which women automatically supported the females in the school's management team.
A gendered study of conflict and violence among boys in the construction of masculinities at a technical high school in Durban.
(2010) Hamlall, Vijay.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
The study analyses instances of disagreement or conflict among boys at Sunville, a technical high school in Chatsworth, Durban. In many, cases these episodes escalated and became physically violent encounters. In other instances, they were resolved without any physical violence. Conflict developed in two phases which were not mutually exclusive. In the first phase a learner would give various forms of provocation (for example insults). The provocations gave rise to or expressed conflict but did not necessarily lead to violence. In cases where physical conflict emerged various causes were at work. These related to the way boys saw themselves in the school and the manner in which they constructed their masculine identities. The major cause of fights (violence) was the hierarchal arrangement of masculinities in the school and the efforts used by boys to assert their power. Attempting to gain inclusion or hierarchical ascendancy led boys to jostle for position and this often led to physical violence. The competitive nature of hegemonic masculinity heightened the vulnerability of the boys. They responded to this vulnerability by forcibly and sometimes violently establishing their masculine credentials. Heterosexual masculinities are organised and regulated to a large extent through trying to bolster fragile masculinities or avoid humiliation. Avoiding humiliation is reactive and defensive and bolstering fragile masculinities is aggressive and assertive. Boys try to bolster their own fragile masculinity by humiliating other boys and they can do this most effectively and easily by picking on boys who are vulnerable, those who are not part of the main gang (the peer group that is most influential in defining hegemonic masculinity). This masculine practice was at the core of bullying at Sunville and bolstered and perpetuated hegemonic masculinity in its assertive, intolerant, blustering and violent form. Boys frequently used vulgar and offensive language to humiliate other boys. They also behaved in ways that proved allegiance to their peer group, took revenge, and involved themselves in acts of gambling to bolster their own masculinities. These actions often led to violence. Boys who largely reject hegemonic masculinity may be forced defensively to protect their own masculine identities when they are subject to aggression (often by hegemonic masculine frontline troopers). This explains why some ordinarily peaceful boys at the school got involved in fights and physical scraps. While the school’s hard boys were normally the aggressors they would also protect their own masculine identities (by reacting violently) if they felt vulnerable. This study looks at gender relationships, with a focus on how conflict and violence feature in the construction of masculinities. Two issues are important: a) how do conflict and violence contribute to the makings of specific masculinities and b) how do existing masculinities legitimate and delegitimate the enactment of conflict and violence. This study therefore examines, on the one hand, mechanisms by which conflict is mediated or resolved and, on the other, the processes by which conflict and disagreement escalate into violence. While there were high levels of tension at Sunville, not all conflict situations led to violence. Some conflict situations had peaceful resolutions. This study examines the specific circumstances that gave rise to these outcomes. In short, this study examines how conflict occurred among boys, how boys handled this conflict (violently or nonviolently) and how masculinities were implicated in handling conflict. What was common in all the incidents of conflict and violence was that boys projected certain images of themselves and sought to live up to certain versions of what it is to be a man. I argue in this thesis that the form of masculinity that boys subscribe to influences the manner in which they deal with provocation and conflict. The escalation or peaceful resolution of conflict depends largely on whether a boy subscribes to or rejects the values of the hegemonic masculinity that exist at Sunville, which include heterosexuality, toughness, authority, competitiveness, maintaining peer group prestige and the subordination of other boys. Those boys who subscribed to the hegemonic values of masculinity at Sunville in most instances were bound by its values to resolve conflict aggressively. Some boys had an allegiance to particular constructions of masculinity which are at variance with the school’s hegemony and this made it more likely that they would choose peace over violence in conflict situations. Their practices in handling conflict separated these boys from the hegemonic way of resolving conflict, which was to use force, aggression and violence. In those cases where the conflict was defused, different, alternative, non-confrontational understandings of masculinity were salient. The values which they asserted included respect, being able to exercise restraint, and being independent, strong willed and individualistic in their thinking and actions. I have identified the modus operandi of this group of boys as being autonomous. These boys took up autonomous positions in situations of conflict that did not support the hegemonic imperative at Sunville to escalate conflict into violence. I have chosen the term autonomous masculinity to describe that masculinity that is performed at a particular moment of conflict, at which moment particular non-hegemonic masculinity (in terms of the school’s masculinity) is drawn upon to avoid conflict. Masculinity is itself a contradictory gendered phenomenon and it is possible, and indeed quite common, for contradictory positions to exist side by side and indeed to be occupied simultaneously by boys. It is unlikely that boys will choose non-violence in every situation. Individuals occupy multiple positions and therefore have a range of identities with different ones acquiring significance in different contexts. Boys take up different positions in different contexts; identities are multiple and fluid. In dealing with conflict at Sunville there are hegemonic and counter-hegemonic positions that boys can inhabit and some boys inhabit one more than the other because they embrace particular masculine positions. The study was undertaken using a qualitative methodology. I undertook research by observing cases of provocation, actual instances of conflict and the manner in which conflict was defused or amplified into violence. My methods included observation and observation in class, around the school and during leisure activities, regular recorded informal discussions and formal interviews. I identified 10 boys to be the main respondents in this study. All the boys were in grade 10 (and were aged between fifteen and seventeen) when I began the research process. I conducted research with these boys for three years, gathering data on an ongoing basis. In the course of the research I used a snowballing technique to draw in further respondents. This study focuses on the uncritical conflation of conflict and violence in the existing literature on masculinities in schools. Conflict and violence are separate parts of a single process. The one does not automatically lead to the other, therefore this requires that we exercise caution when describing violent masculinities. Too often, in the desire to explain patriarchal violence, researchers have lumped aggression together with violence. In this study I witnessed aggression but show that it did not necessarily lead to violence. Connell (1989) has noted that schools are major sites for the making of masculinities. She argues that schools have particular patterns of gender relations (she terms this the gender regime) which impact on and are played out in the lives of boys. Conversely, male learners themselves contribute to the gender regime of the school. While each school may have one form of masculinity which is dominant and which prescribes the ideal form that masculine behaviour should take, there are always other masculinities present within a school. These may be marginal. They may be silenced or complicit or may challenge the dominant, hegemonic masculine form. This study contributes to debates about school masculinities in the context of conflict and violence. The study concludes that while there is a clear identifiable link between modes of the dominant masculinity and violence, there are other versions of masculinity that are being performed within the school that are democratic, peaceful and respectful. I propose that schools should be mindful and support these other versions of masculinity in order to reduce violence among boys in school.
Girls and science in the Lesotho secondary schools : a study of the reasons for low participation rates by girls in the Mohale's Hoek district.
(2002) Moletsane, Mamorakane.; Ige, Busayo Olamide.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
It has been discovered that in many countries, both locally and internationally, girls have low participation rates in science at secondary school level. This thesis examines the factors that underscore the persistence of girls' low participation rates in schools. The major reason for this examination is to establish ways in which secondary school teachers, interested individuals or groups of people, and the ministry of education in Lesotho can manage this problem. Kelly (1981) argues that causes of girls' negative attitudes towards science are multifaceted. Thus, in attempting to understand these causes and to develop strategies to manage this behaviour, a single approach, which focuses on student-teacher classroom interaction, was considered. This thesis therefore, seeks to investigate the responses of girls and science teachers in schools with least numbers of girls having opted for science in the last five years. Due to less numbers of science teachers in schools, I involved in this study, all those found in schools surveyed. To survey girls' responses to this problem, I drew a random sample of both those who have opted for, and those who have opted out of science. I then used a self-administered questionnaire as the research instrument for this study. Basing myself on my judgement's analysis, I therefore concluded that gender discrimination is the major source of girls' negative attitudes towards science in Lesotho, the country that condones female subordination. The unfavourable learning atmosphere that male teachers create for girls in science lessons, such as, the harassment, the harshness, deprivation of opportunity to participate in class, to use the laboratory equipment and other ways and means of ill-treating and frustrating girls are all a result of male domination. A number of recommendations to manage this problem have therefore been proposed.
Histories of violence, states of denial-militias, martial arts and masculinities in Timor-Leste.
(2010) Myrttinen, Henri.; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas.; Morrell, Robert Graham.
This thesis examines the complex interplay between violence and concepts of masculinity using the case study examples of former members of pro-Indonesian militia groups and current members of gangs, martial arts and ritual arts groups in Timor-Leste. Thirty-eight former and current members of these groups were interviewed in both Timor-Leste and Indonesian West Timor. While the members of these groups and their violent acts are often cast in relatively simplistic terms as being the work of misguided, socio-economically marginalised, violent young men, the thesis argues that the phenomena of these groups are far more complex and are intricately intertwined with local East Timorese and imported concepts of what it means to be a man. In addition to being political and economic projects, membership in these groups gives the men new, albeit often violent, ways of defining their masculine identity and defining their place in post-colonial, post-conflict East Timorese society. The violent enactments of masculinity displayed by the young men involved in the various groups examined in this thesis have been formed by the violent history of Timor-Leste but simultaneously the young men have also been personally involved in forming this history of violence. Both on the personal and on the level of the East Timorese state, these histories of violence are dealt with strategies of denial when it comes to taking personal responsibility for violence, leading to impunity and denial of justice to the victims. For the perpetrators, though, denial of responsibility and justifications of violence are used in an attempt to regain masculine honour and respectability in the eyes of broader society. Violence continues to be one of the tools they are willing to resort to for addressing real and perceived grievances, both on the personal and public level. Given the disruptive and deadly ways in which the activities of these young men have affected Timor-Leste, a central challenge for building a peaceful, just and equitable society will be to overcome the ways in which masculinities are defined through violence – a task which requires the involvement of East Timorese boys and men, but also their mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, wives and lovers.