Navigating Past “the White Man’s Agenda” in South Africa: Organizing Men for Gendered Transformation of Society

  • Kopano Ratele
  • Tamara Shefer
  • Mbuyiselo Botha
Chapter
Part of the Global Masculinities book series (GLMAS)

Abstract

In January 2009 Julius Malema, president of the youth wing of the ruling party in South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC), told a meeting of students that “when a woman didn’t enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning. Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money” (Pillay 2009; Smith 2010).

Keywords

Social Construction Contemporary Society Hegemonic Masculinity Hate Speech African National Congress 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Agenda. 1998. “The new Men?” Special issue. Agenda, 37.Google Scholar
  2. Anderson, B. 2009. “Coloured” Boys in Trouble: An Ethnographic Investigation into the Construction of Coloured Working-class Masculinities in a High School in Wentworth, Durban.” Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. University of KwaZulu-Natal, KwaZulu-Natal.Google Scholar
  3. Bhana, D. and R. Pattman. 2009. “Researching South African Youth, Gender and Sexuality within the Context of HIV/AIDS.” Development 52(1): 68–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Blackbeard, D. 2005. “A Photonarrative Study of Adolescent Masculinity.” Unpublished Masters Thesis, University of KwaZulu-Natal.Google Scholar
  5. Blackbeard, D. and G. Lindegger. 2007. “’Building a Wall Around Themselves’: Exploring Adolescent Masculinity and Abjection with Photo-biographical Research.” South African Journal of Psychology 37(1): 25–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Botha, M. 2008. “Reflections by Mbuyiselo Botha.”, Isandla Institute/Open Society Foundation, Monograph 16: Gender Ttansformation: Do Men Matter)] Cape Town, South Africa: Isandla Institute/Open Society Foundation of South Africa. 5–6.Google Scholar
  7. Cleaver, F. ed. 2002. Masculinities Matter: Men, Gender and Development. Cape Town: David Philip.Google Scholar
  8. Clowes, L. 2003. “Historical Representations of ‘Race,’ Masculinity and Homosexuality.”, Social Psychology: Identities and Relationships, ed. K. Ratele and N. Duncan. Lansdowne, Cape Town: UCT Press.Google Scholar
  9. Cornwall, A. and N. Lindisfarne, eds. 1994. Dislocating Masculinity: Comparative Ethnographies. London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Dunkle, K., R. Jewkes, M. Nduna, J. Levin, N. Jama, N. Khuzwayo, M. Koss, and N. Duvvury. 2006. “Perpetration of Partner Violence and HIV Risk Behaviour Among Young Men in the Rural Easter Cape.” AIDS 20, 2017–2114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Fouten, E. 2006. “Exploring How Adolescent Boys Negotiate Regulatory Conceptions of Masculinity.” Unpublished MA (Psychology) Thesis, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.Google Scholar
  12. Gibson, D. and A. Hardon, eds. 2005. Masculinity, Violence and AIDS: Issues Related to Health. Amsterdam: Het Spinhuis.Google Scholar
  13. Gibson, D. and M. Lindegaard. 2007. “South African Boys with Plans for the Future: Why a Focus on Dominant Discourses Tells us Only a Part of the Story.”, From Boys to Men: Social Constructions of Masculinity in Contemporary Society, ed. T. Shefer, K. Ratele, A. Strebel, N. Shabalala, and R. Buikema. Cape Town: UCT Press. 128–144.Google Scholar
  14. Guttman, M. ed. 2003. Men and Masculinities in Latin America. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.Google Scholar
  15. Hassim, S. 2005. Women’s Organizations and Democracy in South Africa: Contesting Authority. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.Google Scholar
  16. Hausmann, R., L. Tyson, and S. Zahidi. 2009. The Global Gender Gap Report 2009. Geneva: World Economic Forum.Google Scholar
  17. Hearn, J. 1987. The Gender of Oppression: Men, Masculinities and the Critique of Marxism. Brighton: Wheatsheaf.Google Scholar
  18. Hearn, J. 2007. “The Problems Boys and Men Create, the Problems Boys and Men Experience.”, From Boys to Men: Social Constructions of Masculinity in Contemporary Society, ed. T. Shefer, K. Ratele, A. Strebel, N. Shabalala, and R. Buikema. Cape Town, South Africa: UCT Press. 13–32.Google Scholar
  19. Inter-Parliamentary Union. 2011. Women in National Parliaments: Situation as of 31 December 2010. Retrieved on February 15, from http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm.Google Scholar
  20. Jewkes, R., J. Levin, N. Mbananga, and B. Bradshaw. 2002. “Rape of Girls in South Africa.” Lancet, 359 (9303): 319–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Jewkes, R., K. Dunkle, M. Koss, J. Levin, M. Nduna, N Jama, and Y. Sikweyiya. 2006. "Rape Perpetration by Young, Rural South African Men: Prevalence, Patterns and Risk Factors.” Social Science and Medicine 63(11): 2949–2961.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Jewkes, R., Y. Sikweyiya, R. Morrell, and K. Dunkle. 2009. “Understanding Men’s Health and Use of Violence: Interface of Rape and HIV in South Africa.” Medical Research Council Policy Brief, June 2009. Accessed February 22, 2011. http//www.mrc.ac.za.Google Scholar
  23. Journal of Psychology in Africa. 2010. Special Issue: The Social Construction of Masculinities in Africa. Journal of Psychology in Africa 20(4).Google Scholar
  24. Journal of Southern African Studies. 1999. Special edition on masculinities in Africa. Journal of Southern African Studies 24(4).Google Scholar
  25. Kimmel, M. ed. 1987. Changing Men: New Directions in Research on Men and Masculinity. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
  26. Lau, U. 2008. “An Exploratory Study of Men’s Subjective Experiences of their Violence Towards their Intimate Partners.” Unpublished Masters thesis. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Google Scholar
  27. Mankayi, N. 2006. “Constructions of Masculinity, Sexuality and Risky Sexual Practices of Male Soldiers.” Unpublished doctoral thesis, Stellenbosch University. Stellenbosch.Google Scholar
  28. Morrell, R. ed. 2001. Changing Men in Southern Africa. London and New York: Zed books.Google Scholar
  29. Morrell, R. 2005. “Men, Movements and Gender Transformation in South Africa.”, African Masculinities, ed. L. Ouzgane and R. Morrell. New York: Palgrave.Google Scholar
  30. Motsei, M. 2007. The Kanga and the Kangaroo Court: Reflections on the Rape Trial of Jacob Zuma. Auckland Park: Jacana.Google Scholar
  31. O’Grady, J. 2009. I Won’t Apologise, says Malema. Retrieved on February 8, 2011 from http://mg.co.za/article/2009-07-10-i-wont-apologise-says-malema/ Accessed February 12, 2011.Google Scholar
  32. Ouzgane, L. and R. Morrell, eds. 2005. African Masculinities: Men in Africa From the late Nineteenth Century to the Present. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Pattman, R. 2007. “Researching and Working with Boys and Young Men in Southern Africa in the Context of HIV/AIDS: A Radical Approach.”, From Boys to Men: Social Constructions of Masculinity in Contemporary Society, ed. T. Shefer, K. Ratele, A. Strebel, N. Shabalala, and R. Buikema. Cape Town: UCT Press. 33–49.Google Scholar
  34. Pattman, R. and F. Chege. 2003. Finding Our voices: Gendered and Sexual Identities and HIV/AIDS in Education. Nairobi: UNICEF.Google Scholar
  35. Pillay, V. 2009. Malema Rape Comments Slammed. Retrieved on February 8, 2011 from http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Malema-rape-comments-slammed-20090123.Google Scholar
  36. Psychology in Society (PINS). 2007. Masculinities in Transition: Volume One. Special edition. PINS, 35.Google Scholar
  37. Pillay, V. 2008. Masculinities in Transition: Volume Two. Special edition, PINS, 36.Google Scholar
  38. Ratele, K. 2003. “We Black Men.” International Journal of Intercultural Relations 27(2): 237–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Ratele, K. 2006. “Ruling Masculinity and Sexuality.” Feminist Africa 6: 48–64.Google Scholar
  40. Ratele, K. 2008. “Masculinity and Male Mortality in South Africa.” African Safety Promotion: A Journal of Injury and Violence Prevention 6(2): 19–41.Google Scholar
  41. “‘Moffies, Jocks and Cool Guys’: Boys’ Accounts of Masculinity and their Resistance in Context.”, From Boys to Men: Social Constructions of Masculinity in Contemporary Society, ed. T. Shefer, K. Ratele, A. Strebel, N. Shabalala, and R. Buikema. Cape Town: UCT Press. 112–127.Google Scholar
  42. Ratele, K., T. Shefer, A. Strebel, and E. Fouten. 2010. “‘We Do Not Cook, Ee Only Assist Them’: Constructions of Hegemonic Masculinity through Gendered Activity.” Journal of Psychology in Africa 20(4): 557–568.Google Scholar
  43. Reddy, V and C. Potgieter. 2006. “‘Real Men Stand up for the Truth’: Discursive Meanings in the Jacob Zuma Rape Trial.” Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 24(4): 511–521.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Republic of South Africa. 1996. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, No. 108 of 1996. Pretoria: Republic of South Africa.Google Scholar
  45. Republic of South Africa Department of Basic Education. 2010a. Education for All: Country Report: South Africa. Pretoria: Republic of South Africa (Department of Basic Education).Google Scholar
  46. Republic of South Africa Department of Basic Education. 2010b. Education Statistics in South Africa 2009. Pretoria: Republic of South Africa (Department of Basic Education) (2010).Google Scholar
  47. Salo, E. 2007. “Social Construction of Masculinity on the Racial and Gendered Margins of Cape Town.”, From Boys to Men: Social Constructions of Masculinity in Contemporary Society, ed. T. Shefer, K. Ratele, A. Strebel, N. Shabalala, and R. Buikema. Cape Town: UCT Press. 160–180.Google Scholar
  48. Sapa. 2009. We’ll Never Apologise to Mickey Mouses — Julius Malema. Retrieved on February 8, 2011 from http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw/en/page295025>oid=304675andsn=2009+Detailand;pid=295025.Google Scholar
  49. Seedat, M., R. Jewkes, A. Van Niekerk, S. Suffla, and K. Ratele. 2009. “Violence and Injuries in South Africa: Prioritising an Agenda for Prevention.” Lancet 374(9694): 1011–1022.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  50. Shefer, T., K. Ratele, A. Strebel, and N. Shabalala. 2005. “Masculinities in South Africa. A Critical Review of Contemporary Literature on Men’s Sexuality.”, Rethinking Masculinities, Violence and AIDS, ed. D. Gibson and A. Hardon. Amsterdam: Het Spinhuis. 73–86.Google Scholar
  51. Shefer, T., K. Ratele, A. Strebel, N. Shabalala, and R. Buikema, eds. 2007. From Boys to Men: Social Constructions of Masculinity in Contemporary Society. Cape Town: UCT Press.Google Scholar
  52. Shisana, O., T. Rehle, L. Simbayi, K. Zuma, S. Jooste, V Pillay-van-Wyk, N. Mbelle, J. Van Zyl, W. Parker, N. Zungu, S. Pezi, and the SABSSM III Implementation Team. 2009. South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey 2008: A Turning Tide among Teenagers? Cape Town: HSRC Press.Google Scholar
  53. Smith, D. 2010. South African Court Finds ANC’s Julius Malema Guilty of Hate Speech. Retrieved on February 8, 2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/1010/mar/15/anc-julius-malema-guilty-hate-speech.Google Scholar
  54. Sonke Gender Justice Network Web site Home Page. 2011. Accessed February 7, 2011. http://www.genderjustice.org.za/
  55. South African (SA) Men’s Forum: Case Study, (undated). Accessed February 22, 2011. http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0001222/Gender-based_violence_case-study2.pdf.
  56. South African Men’s Forum, n.d. The Constitution of the South African Men’s Forum (SAMF). Accessed February 22, 2011. http//www.hsrc.ac.za/RPP-Fatherhood-30.phtml.Google Scholar
  57. South African Journal of Psychology. 2004. South African psychology: Reviewing the first decade of democracy: Special Issue. South African Journal of Psychology 34(4).Google Scholar
  58. Statistics South Africa. 2008. Income and Expenditure of Households 2005/2006: Analysis of Results. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.Google Scholar
  59. Statistics South Africa. 2010. Quarterly Labour Force Survey Quarter 3, 2010: Statistical Release P0211. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.Google Scholar
  60. Statistics South Africa. 2011. Quarterly Labour Force Survey Quarter 4, 2010: Statistical Release P0211. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.Google Scholar
  61. Stevens, G. 2008. “Men and Meanings of Murder: Discourses and Power in Narratives of Male Homicide in South Africa.” Unpublished doctoral thesis. University of South Africa, Pretoria.Google Scholar
  62. Suffla, S., A. Van Niekerk, and N. Arendse. 2008. “Female Homicidal Strangulation in Urban South Africa.” BMC Public Health 8: 363 doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-363CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  63. Suttner, R. 2007. “The Jacob Zuma Trial: Power and African National Congress (ANC) Masculinities.” Paper presented at the AEGIS European Conference on African Studies, African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands, July 11–14.Google Scholar
  64. Swart, L., M. Seedat, G. Stevens, and I. Ricardo. 2002. “Violence in Adolescents’ Romantic Relationships: Findings from a Survey Amongst School-Going Youth in a South African community.” Journal of Adolescents 25: 385–395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  65. Swartz, S. and A. Bhana. 2009. Teenage Tata: Voices of Young Fathers in South Africa. Cape Town: HSRC and Save the Children Sweden.Google Scholar
  66. Union of South Africa. 1950. Population Registration Act (No 30 of 1950). Pretoria: Union of South Africa.Google Scholar
  67. UNFPA. 2000. “Men, Reproductive Rights and Gender Equity. Chapter 4 of the UNFPA.” State of World Population 2000: Lives Together, Worlds Apart, Men and Women in Time of Change. Accessed June 6, 2007. http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2000/english/ch01.html.Google Scholar
  68. Vincent, L. 2006. “Destined to Come to Blows? Race and Constructions of ‘Rational-Intellectual’ Masculinity Ten Tears after Apartheid.” Men and Masculinities 8(3): 350–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Elisabetta Ruspini, Jeff Hearn, Bob Pease, and Keith Pringle 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kopano Ratele
  • Tamara Shefer
  • Mbuyiselo Botha

There are no affiliations available

Personalised recommendations