Masters Degrees (Anthropology)

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Access to health care facilities during COVID-19: probing experiences of Ntabeni a rural community in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2022) Ndlovu, Hloniphile Talent.; Zondi, Virginia Balungile.
Anthropologists have critically taken an interest in studying the political economy of health and healthcare of people especially in forgotten communities. This incorporates admittance to medical care offices and reception of medical care. While they concur that the South African public medical care framework has gone through key changes, they also agree that the implementation or the realization of such important policies have become fragmented, and exacerbated inequalities in relation to access to health care and related facilities. This happens at the heart of solid constitutional and legislative policy frameworks which are in place to guarantee the right to access to healthcare. These constitutional and legislative provisions of guaranteed health care access remain a panacea and, as a result, most poor people are still unable to enjoy this international human right to health care and health facilities. The unprecedented arrival of COVID-19 brought South African health inequalities to light as most people could not access medical health care and health facilities at the time of their need. This qualitative study titled “Access to health care facilities during COVID-19: Probing the experiences of Ntabeni, a rural community in Pietermaritzburg, KZN”, draws on critical contributions of anthropology as a field of study and uses two theoretical frameworks, namely, social constructivism and access theory, as guidelines for the study. Data was collected from thirty (30) purposely sampled participants from the Ntabeni community. The recruitment included both males and females that were deemed fit to participate in the study as guided by ethical considerations of the study. Research findings revealed that the community of Ntabeni could not access health care during the COVID-19 lockdown levels 5 and 4 restrictions in South Africa, and this took a toll on their health. COVID-19 and lockdown regulations/restrictions exacerbated inequalities because poor community members of Ntabeni encountered barriers of affordability, accommodation, awareness, availability and accessibility of health care and facilities. Community members of Ntabeni felt excluded as human beings and as voters who were promised access to free medical health care. The study recommends that: the department of health should prioritize health and access to health care and facilities for the Ntabeni Community which is caged by poverty, unemployment and many health issues. These issues threaten the survival right of all human beings. Government should remove user fees at public hospitals to maximize access to health care and facilities for indigent people. The provision of a wellness or mobile clinic should be expedited as they will also accommodate those who cannot cater for their medical needs. This will make health services more accessible and affordable. Future anthropological research is needed to understand the factors that inhibit communities from accessing universities and contributing to the high rate of unemployment. Other studies could potentially look at the impact of the Msunduzi Integrated Development Planning, which is supposed to positively impact the lives of the members of Ntabeni community in terms of their socio-economic needs.
African indigenous food security strategies and climate change adaptation in South Africa.
(2014) Gaoshebe, Tlhompho.; Kaya, Hassan Omari.
The study used predominantly a qualitative and participatory research design to investigate the African Indigenous Food Security Strategies and Climate Change Adaptation in Ganyesa village (North-West Province). Qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, direct and participatory observation formed the core of data collection methods. This enabled the researcher to interact meaningfully with the respondent IK holders and practitioners in the research process. In consultation with the community leaders a purposive sample of 40 key informants (15 men and 25 women) as IK holders and practitioners was selected for the study. Emphasis was put on women IK holders and practitioners as the custodians of IKS related to food security for climate change adaption. They were the main subsistence farmers who ensured food security for their households and the community in changing climatic conditions. Moreover, contrary to western ways of knowing and knowledge production, the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the respondent IK holders and practitioners such as age group, marital status, etc. and other relevant data were collected and interpreted from their own cultural perspectives and in their local indigenous language Setswana. This was to ensure that cultural meanings are not distorted and lost. The study found that subsistence farming methods such as mixed cropping including keeping of livestock, hunting and gathering constituted main sources of food supply in changing climate conditions in the arid environment of the study area. It was also revealed that the respondent women IK holders and practitioners had a rich and wide knowledge of selecting appropriate seeds and animal species for different seasons and climatic conditions; use of wind patterns, position of stars and behavior of living organisms, early warning systems and indicators for changing climatic conditions. However, during focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, it was found that one of the major limitations for IKS sustainability in the study community was the lack of interest among the younger generations in IKS. This was due to exposure to western knowledge systems and the impact of globalization through mass media. The study recommends that existing indigenous knowledge on food security systems for climate change adaptation in the community should be documented. This is meant to ensure its sustainability, protection and to be shared with younger generation including extension workers and policy makers. Documentation will also assist in identification of gaps which could be improved through interface with other knowledge systems to meet the challenges of globalization. These knowledge systems should also be introduced in the formal educational system and developmental policy including agricultural campaigns to promote public knowledge and awareness on the importance of IKS for sustainable development and livelihood. The role of gender should be taken seriously in the documentation, promotion and interface of IKS with other knowledge and technology. This is to ensure that they are not marginalized further and alienated.
An analysis of the arrival, settlement and domestic arrangements of South Asian Muslim salon workers in Durban.
(2011) Khan, Aneesah.; Singh, Anand.
This study examines the arrival and settlement of a sample of South Asian Muslim male migrants who are salon owners and salon employees in Durban, South Africa. The increasing visibility of the expansion of Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi migrant communities in Durban led to an interest in focusing on those issues which constitute the core of this research, namely: why they migrate, who migrates, how they migrate and arrive here, as well as settle into the work that they do. The broader purpose of this research was to investigate their living arrangements and social dynamics of their working and domestic lives. It also explores the challenges and opportunities that migrants encounter from the time they decide to leave home up until arrival in the country of resettlement and the way in which transnational social ties assist in helping them transcend such obstacles and reap the benefits of available prospects. Central to this project was also the adoption of salon work as a livelihood strategy as well as issues of integration, identity construction and the perceptions of foreign migrants and their enterprises from the view of local salon owners and local customers of foreign owned salons. It shows how migrants remain who they are and how the host society becomes a terrain in which their normative social practices are recreated and enjoyed. The study is anthropological in nature and therefore aims to capture the complexities of the migrant experience from the individuals' perspectives through the use of case studies. As part of the qualitative approach, observations of foreign owned enterprises were conducted, random sampling was used to select participants, and semi-structured interviews made it possible to acquire data. The exploratory goal of the study aims to illustrate that migrants are individuals who leave home with the hope of transforming their dreams and ambitions into a brighter prosperous reality not only for themselves, but more importantly their families too.
Analyzing the inscribed body : an investigation of how the uniform inscribes the body of Zulu-speaking domestics workers in Queensburgh, Durban.
(2010) Harisunker, Nadene.; Singh, Anand.; Singh, Shanta Balgobind.
Domestic workers are commonplace in South African society, with most middle to upper-class homes employing a domestic worker. Recently the area of domestic work in South Africa has gained much needed attention with regard to legal issues. Many domestic workers in the past and even currently, are exposed to exploitation and abuse in many forms. The main concern of this dissertation, however, is the woman that does the domestic work. Women have always been concerned with their bodies – the form and shape, dieting, clothes worn, amongst many other things. Although many may not think so, this concern has not escaped domestic workers. This group of women are extremely concerned with their dress and how their clothes and bodies are perceived by the public. This study addresses this issue paying close attention to the woman behind the uniform. Domestic workers often travel daily to get to their place of work. Commuting to work holds a sense of occasion for them, where, since they do not have much in the way of social lives, they dress up to travel to work. This dressing up is two-fold. Firstly the domestic workers in this study dressed up to impress others (especially other domestic workers) and improve their self-esteem. Secondly, their dress is linked to their past and their future aspirations, many of these women have aspired to become professionals in certain fields, but their goals had become unachievable due to their unfortunate circumstances. These issues are explored and discussed in the dissertation below, situated within the context of the domestic workers lives in South Africa, both during and after work.
The anthropological understanding of depression and attached social constructs amongst university students: the case study of UKZN-PMB.
(2021) Mthembu, Sinenhlanhla Santa.; Zondi, Balungile Prudence.
Through the Cognitive Theory of Depression, Narrative Theory and the Social Constructivism Theory, this interpretive/phenomenological qualitative anthropological study purposively sampled twenty-six (25) UKZN-PMB students to explore means and understanding associated with depression. To achieve objectives of the study, this study anchored itself in linguistic and cultural anthropology to understand the power of language and cultural epistemologies that are attached on the expression and the interpretation of depression which this study has proved to be the experience of UKZN-PMB students. This study revealed that the use of cultural language depicts cultural reflexivity which anthropologists recognise as a unique trait of people’s identity and ability to socialize. This study thus contributes social constructs which are cultural epistemologies or narratives which UKZN students have own as their language to express the state of being depressed. Social constructs that were revealed and explored in this study showed that depression cannot only be understood from the lens of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), but also through emic/explanatory models that convey the impact or the extent of depression on university students. Such cultural constructs are contributed not only in the body of literature but should also inform responsive cultural interventions which UKZN as institution may adopt to become proactive and intentional about assisting its students. This study thus concludes by recommending a holistic approach (which observes social constructs that emerged in this this study) when designing and implementing of awareness programmes towards an in-depth understanding of depression amongst UKZN students. The student support services should have pop-up messages or billboards using these social constructs in order to invite students for immediate interventions. e.g. ✓ uma uzizwa ukuthi uyaGOWISHA we are here to help you or to provide any academic/therapeutic support. ✓ uma uzizwa ukuthi awukhoni, trust that the university student support service centre is here to help you pull through. More anthropological research is also suggested as follows: ✓ within the context of Covid-19 is recommended. ✓ probing why UKZN male students are not comfortable to talk about depression.
Changing patterns of Black marriage and divorce in Durban.
(1984) De Haas, Mary Elizabeth Anne.; Preston-Whyte, Eleanor.
No abstract available.
Community knowledge and perceptions towards the use of traditional and western medical service systems in Coligny community in the North West province, South Africa.
(2016) Hlabe, Anna.; Kaya, Hassan Omari.
Abstract available in PDF file.
Community perceptions of an early warning system: a case study of Swayimane, UMshwathi Local Municipality’s lightning warning system.
(2021) Ndlela, Senelisiwe.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe.; Naidu, Uma Maheshvari.
This study attempts to understand community perceptions of a lightning warning system in the community of KwaSwayimane. The study therefore takes a detailed look at the local community’s views on and insights into the warning system, and how these are shaped by the cultural practices and beliefs embedded in indigenous/local knowledge. The study was carried out at KwaSwayimane, and adopted a mixed methodology, making it both qualitative and quantitative. It involved 100 participants who engaged in questionnaires, focus group discussions and face-to-face interviews. Social constructionism and symbolic interactionism theories were used to analyze the insights gathered during data collection. Findings revealed that the community has recommendations on how to improve their experience of the lightning warning system installed in the area (especially in the context of the dissemination of the warning messages) and these recommendations involve integrating their local/indigenous understandings for protection against lightning strikes with the existing system.
A comparative analysis : contestation of two systems of political representation : Isphakanyiswa and Ngcolosi traditional communities.
(2015) Ngubane, Mlungisi.; Naidu, Uma Maheshvari.; Ojong, Vivian Besem.
Governance requires the support of different ‘categories’ of stakeholders. One such ‘category’ is comprised by the traditional leaders, who are potentially significant players in the implementation of governmental policies and services, within the contemporary democratic South Africa. As such, they represent a community that is potentially able to contribute to the shape and the implementation of the government’s policies and service plans within their local communities. Their possible role, however, has continued to be limited by both, certain sectors of the government as well as the public. This ‘limitation’ comes in the form of challenge on the capability of traditional leaders in conducting policy implementation within a democratic system and on the legitimacy of the leaders, especially the non-elected traditional leaders – isiPhakanyiswa, regarding tradition leaders and the system as mundane, “old fashioned”, and archaic, thus meant to be done away with the relics of the past society. Local communities also tend to question the legitimacy of the traditional leaders. Thus, two is contesting views are created based on the ability of traditional leaders or institutions to contribute to the promotion of good governance and the role of the government and its personnel in carrying out its services. This study explores this contestation by showing the role played by traditional leaders, both elected and non-elected, in contributing and promoting the government’s services in their local communities, probing the embedded assumptions about their inability to play such a role in a democratic society. The study looked at two local government areas, Ngcolosi and Kholwa -Ntumeni in eThekwini Municipality and uThungulu District Municipality, who have elected and non-elected traditional leaders, respectively.
The cultural construction of illness amongst isiZulu-speaking nurses: probing nurses' understanding of patient's illness and health in hospitals.
(2014) Darong, Gabriel Gyang.; Naidu, Uma Maheshvari.
This study attempts to understand how cultural constructions of illness amongst isiZulu-speaking nurses shape their understanding of health, illness and patient care. The study thus takes as a backdrop, the idea that people‟s views of the world and daily phenomena are shaped by their cultural practices and beliefs. The study was qualitative and ethnographic and was carried out at a public hospital in the Durban area. It involved 20 participants and the data was collected through in-depth participant observation and semi-structured interviews. A unique feature of the study was that some of the participants were both trained biomedical nurses as well as practicing izangoma. The findings of the study show that the isiZulu-speaking nurses‟ understandings of health and illness have been shaped by their cultural constructions of health and illness. Aside from their nursing training, isiZulu-speaking nurses‟ understanding of health and illness is likewise understood as being in part, shaped by and embedded in their cultural practices and beliefs such as bewitchment and ancestry curse. These cultural constructions and understandings in turn influence their clinical decisions and patient care. The research findings reveal that the isiZulu-speaking nurses involved in the study face levels of internal conflict in carrying out clinical decisions. Such a conflict was deeply expressed by the nurses; especially the isangoma nurses who felt that their twin expertise as traditional practitioners and nurses places them in a better position to understand „how‟ to care for patients, against the care prescribed by the hospital. This difficulty faced by the nurses is informed by the sometimes conflicting and contested expectations on them as biomedical personnel against their own culturally embedded understanding of health, illness, and patient care.
The customary significance of using ‘ihlahlalomlahlankosi’ in death processes within the eNqabeni community.
(2021) Makhathini, Xoliswa.; Zondi, Balungile Prudence.
This study contributed to the African qualitative understanding of the significant use of Ihlahlalomlahlankosi/Umlahlankosi (tree branch/leaf), also known as Ziziphus Mucronata, in death processes by the eNqabeni Community in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Drawing from the Social Constructivism Theory, indigenous knowledge and in-depth interviews conducted, as well as the purposive sampling. Twenty (20) research participants, between the ages twenty-five (25) and seventy-nine (79), voluntarily participated in the study that was ethically cleared by UKZN HSSRC. The scope of this study was in cultural anthropology, which shaped the wording of themes that are thematically described in the data analysis chapter. Data analysis revealed ten themes, theme one: Defining Ihlahlalomlahlankosi; theme two: The customary use of Ihlahlalomlahlankosi in all death rites; theme three: Importance of practicing this custom; theme Four: Gendered use; theme five: Social constructs; theme six: Disposing the Ihlahlalomlahlankosi leaf. theme seven: Knowledge transmission; theme eight: Uses; theme nine: Symbolic signs and the last theme; theme ten: Industrialization. Such themes are contributed by this study into the existing body of knowledge, and they recognize the well of indigenous knowledge that the community of eNqabeni holds in relation to ihlahlalomlahlankosi. They further offer a heterogenic view of the use of this topic against the literature reviews that exist. These themes confirmed that cultural relativism is socially constructed because of indigenous knowledge that has historically existed amongst people of the same community, culture, family, or society; it reveals that the celebration or observation of customs, rituals, and other cultural schemas, give people a cultural symbolic identity, which is the gift that their ancestors socially constructed to be celebrated or performed in their remembrance. Research participants further alluded that if this cultural rite is not performed it triggers the anger of their ancestors and the spirit of the person wonders around and could cause more death in the family, however, when this custom has been carried out successfully (appreciating the goat that was slaughtered when the family was preparing for the burial ceremony), ancestors communicate with them through dreams. The study also revealed that ancestors communicate even before the body and spirit of the dead person is laid in his or her new home, they said, if the candle that has been put next to the coffin lights up, that signals that the spirit is at peace. Narratives of the respondents further revealed that the community of eNqabeni that used Ihlahlalomlahlankosi, recognizes the grave as a ‘new house or home’ for the dead person. Other themes that emerged from data collection revealed that patriarchy, as well as the religion (Christianity), has contributed to the social construct of gender assigned leadership roles, which this community embraces as indigenous knowledge. Such gender assigned leadership roles to exclude women from leading the spirit of the dead person to the grave, as this hegemonic patriarchy believes that women were not born to lead or to be the heads of households. While this gender exclusion was concern, several advocacy calls were made to recognize the agency of women in all aspects of life, it was interesting to note that other people in the community recognize women as capable and echoed that they should be trusted with this leadership role, given the fact that most households are female headed households. This study thus contributes that some trees are not alien trees or form part of vegetation but they have a customary significance; that some cultural customs are not dependent on the level of affluency but on accessing trees that naturally grow on mountains, hence it is important to conserve nature from harmful environmental hazards because if Ihlahlalomlahlankosi becomes extinct, this would anger their ancestors or propel them to deviate from celebrating their customs, which makes them culturally unique from other existing cultures in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa or in Southern Africa. In conclusion, cultural insights into the use of this leaf or tree branch contribute to the existing body of literature.
Death, religion, and cultural schemas of South African indigenous societies: a case study of funeral services and burial rites of households and families of e-Macambini Community during the alert level 5 of National Lockdown.
(2023) Vundla, Ntokozo Howard.; Zondi, Balungile Prudence.
This thesis anthropologically and qualitatively explored death, religion, and cultural schemas of the eMacambini community during the COVID-19 alert level 5. A sample of 20 participants were recruited through the purposive snowballing technique. Through the Social Constructivism Theory and Cultural Relativism Theory, this study revealed that the eMacambini community was heavily threatened by COVID-19 which affected patterns of their burial rites, cultural schemas and rituals. This study recommends that government authorities together with advisory committees (the South African government and the World Health Organization) should in times of the pandemic be considerate of indigenous knowledge systems that guide the process of death, cultural schemas and rituals of indigenous communities. This study recognized the use of isiZulu language by research participants as a phenomenological expression of painful experiences. It further validates that it is possible to study indigenous communities in their own languages which falls within decolonial ethnography. This study recommended that the content of this research and all other related studies on pandemics versus Africa cultural schemas and rituals should be integrated into the content of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Anthropology (102) Culture and Societies and Anthropology 201- Culture, Health and Illness curriculum as a new section which will deal with the impact of pandemic outbreaks in African traditions, cultures and religion. This study concludes that cultural schemas, rituals and burial rites shape or socially construct one’s identity and promote one’s cultural relativism which is the sense of pride and belonging.
An examination of the significance of the cow body parts during traditional rituals of AmaZulu households in the Mpola community.
(2022) Khanyile, Noxolo Princess.; Zondi, Balungile Prudence.; Kgari-Masondo, Maserole Christina.
The absence of documented literature that explains the attached meanings to cow body parts during traditional rituals of AmaZulu households remains a notable gap in the existing body of knowledge. This anthropological study aims at studying and understanding the attached meanings of the cow body parts during traditional rituals from the viewpoint of AmaZulu in the Mpola community. For this study to bridge the gap and provide an in-depth understanding, qualitative case study using semi-structured (one-on-one-interviews) with fifteen (15) participants between the age of eighteen (18) to seventy (70) and two theoretical frameworks which are cultural relativism theory and indigenous knowledge were employed. The study findings reveal that culture and ancestors informs how AmaZulu slaughter cows when performing traditional rituals. The meanings attached to the cow body parts during traditional rituals are contributed as cultural epistemics in the decolonial literature of African countries as well as in the cultural and linguistic anthropology literature. The findings further portray that indigenous knowledge that is passed down from each generation by indigenous people illustrates cultural gender inequality between both genders (males and females). The males are educated and well-informed about cultural traditions compared to females because males are believed to be heads of the households who will oversee the performing of traditional rituals within the households. These findings indicate the need for indigenous knowledge of AmaZulu, traditional rituals and meanings attached to the cow body to be preserved.
Expectations, obligations and goals: an ethnographic study of two HIV/AIDS support groups south of Durban, South Africa.
(2009) Hixon, Amy.; De la Porte, Susan.
A focus on care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS throughout the world has become a key discussion in the general HIV/AIDS discourse. This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of two HIV/AIDS support groups operating in areas south of Durban, South Africa. In particular, the thesis presents the readers with a description of the 1) purpose of HIV/AIDS support groups, 2) main participants involved in HIV/AIDS support groups, and 3) an overview of how the two HIV/AIDS support groups under study operate. The grounded theory approach of this study led to the emergence of two themes crucial to the understanding of the HIV/AIDS support groups under study, the existence of widespread conflict, and a system of "negotiated" reciprocity within each support group. The thesis uses the framework of Victor Turner's social drama, and the anthropological theories of reciprocity, in order to analyze these concepts. This thesis reveals that each support group operates within an environment, in which a discrepancy of expectations, obligations, and goals amongst the support group participants exists. Additionally, the support group members and the sponsoring organization of both support groups have varying perceptions of the support group, both in its ideal and actual form. Finally, the thesis reveals the way in which each support group oscillates between a state of stability and conflict, and how conflict and negotiation, in turn, become inherent within, and synonymous with, everyday organisation and operation of the support groups.
An exploration of the lives and livelihoods of African professional migrants in institutions of higher learning : the case of University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2009) Otu, Monica Njanjokuma.; Ojong, Vivian Besem.; Naidu, Uma Maheshvari.
This study focuses on the lives and livelihoods of foreign African academics at UKZN. The study attempts to unpack the driving forces behind their decision to migrate and why South Africa has become a preferred destination for these migrants. It explores the kind of networks that inform them of employment opportunities that are available in institutions of higher learning in South Africa. It also sets out to explore the kind of skills possessed by these migrants that are needed for the development of skills in the institution. Research findings reveal a combination of micro and macro factors as reasons surrounding foreign African professional migrancy in South Africa. Macro factors are subsumed under general and structural reasons which include high unemployment rates, corruption, nepotism, and other forms of political oppressions and infrastructural problems. Over and above the relative viability of South African institutions with modern technological facilities and well organised curricular and material structures serve as major attractions to foreign African professional migrancy into the country. The factors of cultural affinity and geographical proximity are also among the reasons that foreign African academics at UKZN cited for their migration into South Africa. The individual in this study constitutes the basic unit in providing a more nuanced understanding of why this group of foreigners migrated to South Africa. In this regard personal reasons such as family pressure and change of geographical space form an integral part of reasons surrounding their migrancy in South Africa. Following the professional convenience that UKZN offers, this research showcases the desire expressed by various migrants under this study to pursue and establish a scholarship that would promote and legitimise Africa as an intellectual space of knowledge production. Being a “Premier University of African Scholarship”, professional migrants from the rest of the continent have indicated their willingness to dedicate their services within their different capacities to develop a curriculum that meets the needs of South Africa and Africa. The study shows some contributions that foreign academic are making in the development of the institution. From a social perspective the study highlights how professional African migrants have reconstructed gender roles and household constitution. Transnational migration as shown by this study reveals changing patterns in gender as African women just like the men are engaged in transnational activities for economic and career advancement. African women with educational skills whether married or unmarried have independently undertaken the decision to migrate for economic and social upliftment.
An exploration of the reasons surrounding Indian businesswomen's involvement in home-based business in Shallcross.
(2008) Moodley, Lucille Claudia.; Ojong, Vivian Besem.
The topic of this study is “An exploration of the reasons surrounding Indian businesswomen’s involvement in home-based businesses in Shallcross, Durban”. The objective of this study was to investigate some of the reasons why Indian women choose to venture into small business. This study also explored some of the history of the Indian people of Natal (now known as KwaZulu-Natal) and briefly touched on the past and present lives of Indian women in South Africa. The informants used in this study were Indian women who owned small home-based businesses. They all reside in Shallcross where they operate their businesses from their homes. Shallcross is situated in Durban, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Their businesses consisted of various types like hair salons, catering and gift shops. All interviews with the informants were informal in nature. Informal, unstructured yet indepth interviews and life histories were used in the study to collect data. Life histories were summarized to highlight the aims and results of the study. The literature reviewed for this study focused on issues on female entrepreneurship in South Africa. The most part of the literature review paid special attention to the changing role of Indian women, the nature of small businesses and their importance in South Africa’s developing economy, female motives for entrepreneurship and the future of female entrepreneurship. The literature review process has revealed a gap in the literature regarding Indian women involved in small business, but the literature also provided greater clarity and understanding of women entrepreneurship from both historically and contemporary perspectives.
An exploratory study of the experiences of care-givers of children with autism in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2012) Shaik, Shabnam.; De la Porte, Susan.
The term ‘autism’ was first used in 1906 to describe a condition in adults. The term was later used again in 1943 and 1944 by Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger respectively who used the term to describe symptoms found in children. Autism was a relatively unknown condition until the 1980s and 1990s when research on the condition began to increase. The increase in research and availability of information lead to a better understanding of autism and related disorders and there has since been an increase in the number of people diagnosed with 1 in 150 children being diagnosed with autism in South Africa. Autism manifests before 36 months of age with males being four times more susceptible to Autism Spectrum Disorders than females. Research available on autism and related conditions has focused largely on scientific studies in the attempt to discover a cause for the disorder and a cure for it. In recent years there has been an increase in parents writing about their experiences with their children who have autism, however very little literature is available on non-kin care-givers and their experiences in working with children with autism. This thesis provides a view into the world of the non-kin care-giver through research carried out at two school sites in the KwaZulu-Natal region. This research through participant observation and interviews aims to fill the gap in the literature regarding non-kin care-givers of children with autism. The study looks at why non-kin care-givers choose to work with children with autism, the stress and challenges associated with working with children with autism, the highlights and personal impacts of working with children with autism and why non-kin care-givers continue to work in this field. In addition this thesis looks at the experiences of parents of children with autism and as such aims to describe a symbolic journey that parents and non-kin care-givers embark on with autism. In order to understand this symbolic journey this thesis has used the theoretical framework of van Gennep’s (1960) Rites de Passage and Goffman’s (1969) Spoilt Identity and Stigma, analysing each stage of the participants involvement in relation to the concepts of separation, transition or liminality and finally incorporation. By using these theories to analyse the research findings this thesis argues for the formation of a group identity through shared experiences and understandings of autism and in this way for the creation of an Autism Community.
An exploratory study of the non-kin models of care available to orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2010) McCarthy, Ashling Elizabeth.; De la Porte, Susan.
Victims of HIV/AIDS are not only those who are infected with the disease, but also those who are affected by it; such as the children of infected parents and relatives, and indeed, all children living in communities in which the disease has reached epidemic proportions. As the number of orphaned and vulnerable children continues to rise unabated in South Africa the question remains as to who will look after these children once their parents, and relatives, have died. Research shows that the extended family continues to be the first line of support for such children; however, the dissolution of the extended family, due to HIV/AIDS, is also widely documented. The aim of this study is to explore two non-kin models of care which are available to orphaned and vulnerable children in KwaZulu-Natal; a transition home and a cluster foster home. The two organisations chosen for the study cater for children who are at different stages of childhood; one caters specifically for babies and toddlers, while the other caters for children and young adults between the ages of five and the early twenties. Both organisations emerged as a response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic which is profoundly evident in the areas in which the organisations are situated. The theory of social rupture thesis is utilised as it asserts that the extended family is reaching breaking point in terms of absorbing orphaned and vulnerable children, and therefore that it is slowly losing its ability to act as the first line of support against the disease. Based on the research and findings of this study, this hypothesis was found to be true, as was evident in the large (and increasing) numbers of children who can be found living in non-kin models of care around South Africa. An interesting phenomenon which was documented in both organisations was the re-emergence of the father figure in the home setting. South Africa is a country where the majority of children grow up without a traditional father figure and these two homes expressly include men in the lives of the children in order to highlight what they consider to be the necessary role of men within a family setting. This study explores the central themes which emerged during the research; that of the impact of shifting care-givers on the development of children, as well as the many socio-cultural issues which foster parents face while raising foster children.
Exploring constructions of masculinity among young men in the context of poverty: a case study of Kenneth Gardens, Durban.
(2016) Dlamini, Melusi Andile Charles.; Naidu, Uma Maheshvari.
This study explored how young masculinities are constructed and enacted in the context of poverty, unemployment and violence. It sought to understand how poverty shaped young men’s identities, and how they navigated the salient challenges in their lives. The study draws from ethnographic data collected in Kenneth Gardens in Durban, which focused on a group of unemployed men aged between 19 and 30. The study concerns itself with how young masculinities are shaped by social and economic dynamics that unfold in the lives of the young men. This study used the concept of structural violence and adopted a constructionist approach in order to interpret the data collected in the field. The participants’ narratives suggested a dissonance between the young men’s personal circumstances and their aspirations, which demonstrated limited agency. The social and economic marginality of the participants facilitated the emergence of ‘impoverished masculinities’ among the young men, which was marked by the recurrent use of substances and violence. ‘Violent masculinities’ also emerged among the participants as a reaction to instances of victimisation within and around their community. Moreover, the study explored how unemployment and poverty influenced the young men’s enactments of masculinity in relation women as intimate partners. In the study, women were often (hyper)sexualised and objectified, with sexual relationships used as sites of negotiation and resistance in the context of disempowering material conditions. In a context that is increasingly challenging for young people, poverty and unemployment deepened the marginalisation the young men and resulted in the enactment of potentially destructive masculinities. Overall, the data suggests that the context of social and economic marginality lead to limitations in life choices that severely limited the agency of the young men and profoundly affected the construction of young masculinities in Kenneth Gardens.
Exploring the lived experiences of parents of children with cognitive learning barriers at uMkhambathini.
(2020) Gwala, Mxolisi.; Zondi, Balungile Prudence.
The ethnography that was embarked on in completing this paper aimed at collecting the emic perspectives of parents of children with cognitive learning barriers at uMkhambathini. The main objective was to understand their lived experiences as parents of children living with disabilities. The hallmark for doing an anthropological study is undertaking ethnography while being highly cognizant of holism as a principle in anthropological research; such consideration drives researchers to consider all important details that contribute to the phenomenon that is being studied. This was the manner in which the study was completed, and it was brought to an understanding that socio-cultural contexts of parents in the topic have not received much attention in the public domain, especially in rural areas like uMkhambathini where the study was conducted; although it should now receive essential consideration, especially if the makers of policy in the public sector have to achieve adequate and uncompromised inclusion whether in learning or designing appropriate psycho-social support initiatives for parents or their children living with disabilities in an inclusive environment. A total of fifteen (15) parents of children living with cognitive disability as a learning challenge in question were purposively sampled from Asizenzele, Inkanyezini and Table Mountain Primary Schools. The findings were generated through in-depth interviews as well as focus group interviews which allowed parents to share their personal and collective experiences; this also helped the study to collect quality of these experiences. Parents responded to sixteen (16) research questions and significant themes were generated following a thorough qualitative thematic analysis. Theoretical framework and the existing literature in the subject were used to analyse and anthropologically interpret experiences of parents. The socio-cultural perspective is the quarry in which individual problems related to the topic exists; in this breath, government must also design, implement and promote public activism to safeguard education and socialization of people living with disabilities in general.

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