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1
Mbewe, Mpho. "‘Ubhuti wami’: a qualitative secondary analysis of brothering among isiXhosa men." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013149.
Full textAbstract:
This project is interested in investigating the construction of the fraternal sibling relationshipwithin the South African context from a narrative perspective. In particular, this study is interested in the ways in which middle aged isiXhosa men narrate experiences of brothering and how social class, as one particular context, mediates these narratives. This project is particularly interested in brothering within the isiXhosa culture and is concerned with both middle class and working class men within this cultural context. The project takes as its particular focus the meaning of brothering, and specifically how masculinity, intimacy and money or class influence the brothering practices constructed by the men in the sample. The project employs a social constructionist perspective, using a thematic narrative analysis to analyse the data. This project uses secondary analysis of data, as the data was collected for the primary use by Jackson (2009), Peirce (2009), Saville Young (Saville Young & Jackson, 2011) and Stonier (2010). The analysis reflects emergent themes of the importance of fraternal sacrifice, care-taking and sibling responsibility, honouring the family, and challenge to traditional masculinity. These themes emerged within the prior themes of masculinity, intimacy and class within brothering. The men spoke of keeping the family prosperous and united as an important duty in their brothering role. Affection was expressed more practically and symbolically, and closeness constructed through shared experiences, proximity and similarities. My findings reflect that family expectations, culture and social context had key influences on brothering, based on the men's narratives. Findings are discussed in relation to literature on brothering, masculinity and intimacy, and the influence of money in close relationships.
2
Anderson, Gavin Craig. "The social and gender identity of gatherer-hunters and herders in the Southwestern Cape." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22515.
Full textAbstract:
Bibliography: pages 134-166.<br>Southern African archaeology has experienced several changes in theoretical perspectives over the past few decades. More recently there have been renewed calls for a more social and theoretical approach to the analysis of the prehistoric past, especially the Late Stone Age. This thesis is an account of the last 4000 years in the southwestern Cape, where material culture is analysed in terms of contextual meaning. Contextual meaning is used in conjunction with social identity theory to analyse the interaction between Khoi herders and San gatherer-hunters. I use the active processes of identity formation and maintenance to argue that both the isolationist and revisionist arguments have simplified the concepts of identity, where identity is seen to have a passive role in interaction. I argue that identity is dynamic and changeable, and that individuals have several social identities which are made salient according to the context of interaction. I use specific fine line images in the rock art to argue that these images, in conjunction with scraper styles, were used as strategies by San males to increase their self-esteem. I further argue that interaction would result in unequal gender relations and San females used specific adzes to reassert their gender identity within San society. I further argue that finger paintings and handprints may have been painted by Khoi females as part of their menstruation and/or menarche rituals. I use both the gender and social identities from the Khoi and the San to argue that these are interrelated and cannot be separated. I argue that interaction would result in unequal gender and social practices and these practices would be expressed in the material culture of that group.
3
Cumes, Heide Ulrike. "Coping in two cultures: an ecological study of mentally ill people and their families in rural South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002467.
Full textAbstract:
This study explores severe mental illness in a South African ru~al district, moving, as with a zoom lens, from the macroperspectives of (i) Xhosa culture, and (ii) biomedicine, to the lived experience of the individual. Its methodology, predominantly qualitative, employed anthropological and psychological procedures. The fieldwork (1988-1989)encompassed a three month stay in the village of Msobomvu. Patients continued to be tracked informally until June, 1995. The empirical research has three parts. In part one, the person with a mental illness was contextualized within Xhosa cosmology and social attitudes. The cognitive and social ecologies were tapped through the narratives of high school and university students at different stages of a Western-biased education. Social attitudes regarding mental illness, and confidence in treatment by traditional healers and the hospital, were also evaluated. Traditional attitudes and supernatural beliefs of illness causation persisted in spite of Eurocentric education, with a concurrent increase in the acceptance of Western-type causal explanations commensurate with continued education. Part two considered the the patients in relation to (i) the biomedical framework (the mental and local hospitals), and (ii) their readjustment to the community after hospitalization. Data came from patient charts, interviews with medical staff, and follow-up visits in the villages. Socio-political and economic issues were salient. Part three case-studied people identified by the village residents as having a mental illness. Resources for treatment - traditional healers, mobile clinic, and village health workers - were the focus. The traditional healing system, and biomedicine, were compared for effectiveness, through the course of illness events. While biomedicine was more effective in containing acute psychotic episodes than treatment by the traditional healer, lack of appropriate resources within the biomedical setting had disastrous results for patient compliance and long-term management of the illness, particularly in people with obvious symptoms of bipolar disorder. The mental hospital emerged as an agent of control. While Xhosa culture provided a more tolerant setting for people with a mental illness, the course of severe mental illness was by no means benign, despite research suggesting a more positive outcome for such conditions in the developing world.
4
Boni, Stefano. "Hierarchy in twentieth-century Sefwi (Ghana)." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1999. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:c3238187-7e9d-465d-b9e4-63ea1ad7eda1.
Full textAbstract:
The dissertation aims to provide an understanding of the relation between political-economic power and the attribution of social value in twentieth-century Sefwi (Ghana). The existing literature on relations of dominance amongst the Akan has flaws: works examine single relations of dominance in isolation; studies focus mostly on discontinuity and change; peripheral areas are neglected. In the dissertation these issues are addressed. Hierarchy is used as an analytical tool which enables one to link diverse expressions of dominance; the persistence of certain hierarchical patterns throughout the twentieth century is analysed alongside transformations; and the focus is on Sefwi, a marginal region of the Akan world. The dissertation is divided into five sections. The introduction presents the methodological and theoretical approach adopted in the work. Part one is concerned with change in hierarchical patterns: twentieth-century dynamics are analysed to determine the extent of change with reference to chiefly power, capitalist.relations and gender issues. Part two shows that unequal relations inform three hierarchical domains -ancestry, gender and seniority. Part three addresses the issue of the coherence and unity of hierarchy by examining modes of organization of experience that cut across the three domains of inequality: reference is made to the use of kinship terms; concepts of ownership, caretakership and help; recourse to the supernatural; food and drink transactions. In the conclusion, Sefwi hierarchy is examined in a wider comparative and theoretical perspective with reference to the notions of 'encompassing of the contrary' (Dumont) and 'fetishization' (Marx).
5
McAllister, P. A. "Xhosa beer drinks and their oratory." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012863.
Full textAbstract:
This is a study of 'beer drinks' among Xhosa people living in the Shixini administrative area of Willowvale district, Transkei. Beer drinks are defined as a 'polythetic' class of events distinguishable from other kinds of ceremonies and rituals at which beer may be consumed, and an attempt is made to outline their major characteristics. A detailed description of the way in which beer drinks are conducted is provided in Chapter 3, with emphasis on the symbolism involved in the allocation of beer, space and time, and on the speech events (including formal oratory) that occur. The main theoretical argument is that beer drinks may be regarded as 'cultural performances' in which social reality or 'practice' is dramatised and reflected upon, enabling people to infuse their experience with meaning and to establish guidelines for future action. This is achieved by relating social practice to cultural norms and values, in a dynamic rather than a static manner. It is demonstrated that the symbolism involved in beer drinking is highly sensitive to the real world and adjusts accordingly, which means that 'culture' is continually being reinterpreted. Despite poverty, a degree of landlessness and heavy reliance on migrant labour, Shixini people maintain an ideal of rural selfsufficiency and are able to partly fulfill this ideal, thereby maintaining a degree of independence and resistance to full incorporation into the wider political economy of southern Africa. They achieve this largely by maintaining a strong sense of community and of household interdependence, linked to a sense of Xhosa tradition. It is this aspect of social practice, manifested in a variety of forms - work parties, ploughing companies, rites of passage, and so on - that is dramatised, reflected upon and reinforced at beer drinks. In a definite sense then, beer drinks may be regarded as a response and a way of adapting to apartheid, and this study one of a community under threat.
6
Deliwe, Dumisani. "Responses to Western education among the conservative people of Transkei." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002662.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is concerned with the impact of Western education on the social life of the members of a Transkeian village. Various authors in the locally relevant literature, have for a long time commented that, due to Western education and Christianity, African societies became divided into 'school'people, who readily accepted Western education and culture, and 'red' people, who initially resisted these. Whilst the terms 'red' and 'school' became used as analytical constructs for the differing responses to Western culture, they were also used by African people. My findings at Qhude, Transkei, confirmed such a social division. I argue that this social division does not present an absolute distinction, but may best be conceived in terms of a continuum. Whilst the thesis considers interaction between the 'school' and the 'red' people of Qhude in various fields of life such as politics, law, religion (see Chapter Two) and education (see Chapter Six), the main emphasis is on the 'red' people. Thus, the thesis concerns itself, to a large degree, with an analysis of the 'red' people's experience and interpretation of Western education and Western educated people. The main argument is that the 'red' people's perception of Western education and Western educated people is ambiguous. That is, they see them in both positive and negative terms (see Chapter Five). This ambiguity is looked at here as a manifestation of the difficulties encountered by the 'red' people in adjusting to an institution (i.e Western education)that was initially foreign, and to which they were initially opposed. The perception of Western education as positive follows from the fact that it is seen as leading to economic empowerement by the 'red' people of Qhude, who are facing poverty, due to an economic decline (see Chapter Three). However, the economic contribution of the young (who are the ones receiving western education) and the knowledge they gather from school, threaten the authority of elders, as the young become increasingly independent from the elders. As a result of such independence, and other factors, Western education is seen in negative terms by the 'red' people. Such potential dangers of Western education are well recognised by the 'reds' of Qhude, and are dealt with culturally. That is, it is made clear to the young, in particular during occasions such as circumcision rituals, that education has to be made relevant to the building of the homestead, which is under the overlordship of parents whom the young are called upon to respect (see Chapter Six). In conclusion, it is argued that the use of culture in this way, shows how 'tradition' is employed to deal with crisis. Such use of culture necessitates a clarification of the opinion that uneducated Africans rejected Western education (see Chapter Seven).
7
Kaschula, Russell H. "The transitional role of the Xhosa oral poet in contemporary South African society." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002085.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis outlines the changing role of the Xhosa imbongi in contemporary South African society. The changing socio-economic and political scenario in South Africa, and the way in which the imbongi is adapting in order to accommodate new pressures created by these changes, form an integral part of this thesis. The effects of education and increasing literacy on the tradition are outlined. The interaction between oral and written forms is explored in chapter 2. The role of the imbongi within the religious sphere is included in chapter 3. Xhosa preachers within the independent churches often make use of the styles and techniques associated with oral poetry. Iimbongi who are not necessarily preachers also operate within this context. The relationship between the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the African National Congress and iimbongi has also been researched and forms part of chapters 4, 5, and the epilogue. The modern imbongi is drawn towards powerful organisations offering alternative leadership to many of the traditional chiefs. In the epilogue collected poetry is analysed in the context of Mandela's visit to Transkei in April 1990. Interviews have been conducted with chiefs, iimbongi attached to chiefs as well as those attached to different organisations. Poetry has been collected and analysed. In chapter 5, three case studies of modern iimbongi are included. The problems facing these iimbongi in their different contexts, as well as the power bases from which they draw, are outlined. Finally, an alternative definition of the imbongi is offered in the conclusion
8
Segooa, Maite Stella. "The role of Chiefs as characters in Matsepe's novels : An appraisal." Thesis, University of Limpopo, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/2073.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A. (African languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2004.<br>In this research an attempt has been made to assess, evaluate and examine the role of chiefs as characters in Matsepe's novels.
The need for this study was found to be necessary because no in-depth study of the role of chiefs in Matsepe's novels has as yet been undertaken.
This study demonstrates how Matsepe portrays chiefs as characters in his novels, what their duties are and how they help in developing his themes.
9
Booi, Beauty Ntombizanele. "Three perspectives on ukuthwasa: the view from traditional beliefs, western psychiatry and transpersonal psychology." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002445.
Full textAbstract:
Among the Xhosas, the healing sickness called intwaso is interptreted as a call by the ancestors to become a healer. Transpersonalists also see these initiatory illnesses as spiritual crises, while according to the widely accepted Western psychiatric view, illness is purely perceived in physical and psychological terms. A case study was conducted where a single participant who has undergone the process of ukuthwasa and is functioning as a traditional healer was interviewed. A series of interviews were done where information was gathered about significant experiences related to ukuthwasa process. Tapes were transcribed and a case narrative was written and interpreted using the traditional Xhosa beliefs, the western psychiatric and the transpersonal psychology perspectives. Strengths and weaknesses of each perspective were then examined.
10
Dowling, Tessa. "Isihlonipho sabafazi : the Xhosa women's language of respect : a sociolinguistic exploration." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14268.
Full textAbstract:
Bibliography: leaves 166-172.<br>Isihlonipho Sabafazi (the Xhosa women's language of respect) is a language in which syllables occurring in the names of menfolk are avoided by women. Thie thesis attempts to place the practice in it social context by applying both descriptive and analytical methodologies. The thesis include a literature survey and a critique on the dynamics of gender and language. The results of interviews conducted in three areas, one urban and two rural, are analysed and tabulated. A glossary of substitute words is included.
11
Robson, Elsbeth. "Gender, space and empowerment in rural Hausaland, northern Nigeria." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2002. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:e40bc658-dff2-4876-a845-090a2552457a.
Full textAbstract:
Reducing gender inequalities by enabling women's empowerment is a major focus of the literature and practices of gender and development. The work of this thesis contributes to debates about female empowerment, especially for peasant women in peripheral capitalist economies. The central themes of enquiry are power relations of gender and space in the socio-economic processes in which peasant households and their members are embedded. The focus of investigation is the extent to which commodity exchange outside the household reinforces, or reduces, women's position of power/disempowerment. The central question taken for analysis is whether income earning via trading empowers women, thus reducing their subordination. This hypothesis is widely accepted. Many NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and other development institutions base efforts around the notion that income earning is liberating for women. This hypothesis is investigated for rural Hausa women in Northern Nigeria who are secluded within their homes by the religio-cultural practice of purdah, but who engage in trade, often through the agency of children. The major empirical part of the study develops and applies an original framework for analysis of empowerment that identifies and maps gender divisions of labour and space in the spheres of production, reproduction and circulation in which rural Hausa men and women are embedded. The overall conclusion reached is that gender divisions of work, both inside and outside rural Hausa households, and especially in trade, reflect and sustain the subordination of women and their inferior position relative to men, especially through the control of space. The notion of income earning as universally empowering for women does not hold because rural Hausa women engaged in the market are not significantly empowered by their income earning because of the complex realities of patriarchy whereby women have weak bargaining powers.
12
Nxoko, Lloyd Chumani. "The significance of Nguni cattle with reference to traditional value in agriculture." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/10243.
Full textAbstract:
In the Xhosa culture, Nguni cattle have always been valued due to cultural rituals purpose but were not viewed from a development perspective. In fact, traditionally, in Xhosa society, cattle were used not only as primary sources of food such as milk, meat and other related secondary products, but in the performance of rituals. From milk one can get sour milk (amasi) which is a staple diet for both young ones and adults. Furthermore, butter, which was traditionally used for cosmetics purposes, is also derived from milk. Thus, the focus of this study is on the paradigm shift, as well as the role played by cattle in Xhosa cultural rituals and agriculture.
13
Liebenberg, Alida. "Authority, avoidances and marriage: an analysis of the position of Gcaleka women in Qwaninga, Willowvale District, Transkei." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002663.
Full textAbstract:
Authority as it operates in the daily lives of married women in Gcaleka society is reinforced and maintained by a body of avoidances which women need to observe during their married lives. Avoidances constitute part of the control system in the society whereby wives are being 'kept in their place'. Avoidances do not only restrict her, but also safeguard her position and her interests. Lines of authority emerge through the process of interaction; the structure reveals itself as avoidances are acted out in time and space. This study was conducted in Qwaninga, an administrative area in the coastal area of the Willowvale district, Transkei. The research started out as a study of ritual impurity and the status of women in a traditional, 'red' Gcaleka society. It soon became clear that pollution practices and beliefs associated with women form part of a greater body of avoidances which women need to observe during their married lives. Avoidances entail economic, dietary, sexual, linguistic and spatial prohibitions; as well as restrictions concerning what a woman is supposed to wear, and her withdrawal from social life. These restrictions are enforced through certain ritual and other sanctions. Three forms of avoidances are identified in this study, and are discussed and analysed. Avoidances are found in the everyday male/female division in society; in the ways through which the wife shows respect towards her husband and her in-laws (especially her husband's ancestors); and in the reproductive situations a woman finds herself in from time to time. In many anthropological studies in the past women have often been hidden in the background. This study is an attempt to give women the prominence they should be given, to show that nonwestern women are not as subordinated as people in Western society like to assume. In Gcaleka society the authority structure affecting the position of women is not only based on a distinction being made between males and females. It will be shown that a finer authority structure operates in this society whereby gender as well as age and kinship distinctions are being made. These distinctions constitute a system of classification which is safeguarded and protected by the avoidances and other restrictions imposed on women.
14
Lombo, Nocawa Philomina. "Mental health care practitioners' perceptions of mental illness within the isiXhosa cultural context." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1179.
Full textAbstract:
This study sought to explore the perceptions of mental health care practitioners’ perceptions on mental illness within the isiXhosa cultural context. A qualitative exploratory descriptive and contextual design was used for the study. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select eight participants from Komani Hospital in Queenstown. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The services of an Independent Interviewer were used to avoid any bias as interviews took place where the researcher is employed. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data collected was analyzed according to Tesch’s eight steps of data analysis as described in Cresswell (1994:155). The researcher utilized services of an Independent Coder who verified the identified major themes. Four major themes emerged from the analysis of the interview: Mental health care practitioner’s perceptions of mental illness, perception of the causes of mental illness within the isiXhosa cultural context, mental health care practitioners’ views in the management and treatment of mental illness and suggestions put forward to improve the services to mental health care users. The major findings of this study were the lack of knowledge of culture of mental health care users. It is recommended that it would be proper if there could be co-operation between mental health care practitioners and traditional healers by working together as a team.
15
Redd, David Allen. "Yoruba migrants : a study of rural-urban linkages and community development." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/MQ50561.pdf.
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16
Puckreesamy, Sashika. "Therapist perceptions of narcissism in traditional cultural contexts." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19872.
Full textAbstract:
Narcissism, often linked to a sense of entitlement and inflated sense of self, is a complex condition that has been studied for approximately a century. It is typically associated with individualistic cultures, which place emphasis on the self. Although much is known about narcissism, there is far less knowledge on narcissism in collectivist cultures. The Xhosa culture is commonly seen as a collectivist culture. No research to date has been conducted on this construct with Xhosa-speaking South Africans. The aim of the study was to explore and describe therapist perceptions of narcissism in traditional cultural contexts. The objectives of the study included an investigation into how narcissism presents in the Xhosa culture, and an exploration of the narcissistic elements that manifest more prominently. A qualitative, exploratory descriptive research design was employed, and snowball sampling was used to identify psychologists from the Nelson Mandela Metropole for inclusion in the study. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, and data was analysed by thematic analysis. The findings of the thematic analysis consisted of six themes, which are thoughts on the Xhosa culture, culture and personality, contemporary Western theory lacking, traits, parenting, and interpersonal and personal difficulties. These themes reflect the participants’ experience, thoughts, and opinions on narcissism in individuals from the Xhosa culture.
17
Hanisi, Nosipho. "Nguni fermented foods: working with indigenous knowledge in the Life Sciences: a case study." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008372.
Full textAbstract:
This study examines learning interactions around indigenous ways of knowing associated with fermented grain foods (the making of umqombothi) and the concept of alcoholic fermentation in the Grade 11 Life Sciences curriculum. As an environmental education study it also investigates the cultural significances of the fermented grain food and how learners might make better lifestyle choices. The inclusion of indigenous ways of knowing in the Life Sciences curriculum (FET band) created spaces and opportunities for the use of both knowledge's in sociocultural context and the structured propositions of the learning area in order to construct knowledge. This stimulated learners' understanding of fermentation and also led to a valuing of social context as well as the cultural capital embedded in the indigenous ways of knowing. The study suggests that parental involvement contributed to this valuing of intergenerational ways of knowing. Learners also deliberated how colonial interpretations of Nguni culture and the religious beliefs of Christians had served to marginalise and foster a widening urban rejection of isiXhosa cultural practices related to fermented foods. In their learning and discussion, learners developed new insights and respect for isiXhosa fermentation practices (ukudidiyela) that bring out the food value and nutrition in the grain. The data illustrates that lesson activity that drew on relevant Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards to integrate Indigenous Knowledge practices in a Life Sciences learning programme, served to enhance learner understanding of alcoholic fermentation. They also document a revaluing of cultural heritage and learners bringing up the problem of alcohol abuse in the community. Curriculum work with Indigenous Knowledge thus not only assisted learners to grasp the science but to use this alongside a valued cultural knowledge capital to deliberate and act on a local concern.
18
Afari-Twumasi, Lucy. "Traditional and cultural practices and the rights of women : a study of widowhood practices among the Akans in Ghana." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2844.
Full textAbstract:
The study investigates the human rights violations that underlie widowhood practices in Cape Coast and Komenda in the Central Region of Ghana. Review of the relevant literature on widowhood practices suggests that widowhood practices are a global cultural phenomenon, which is not confined to Sub-Sahara Africa. A survey of relevant studies on the phenomenon suggests that there are two competing perceptions on African widowhood practices: (1) a dominant negative perspective and (2) a minor positive perspective. The dominant negative perspective, which receives overwhelming research attention, focuses only on the negative characteristics of widowhood while the minor positive perspective which receives scanty research attention, rejects the criticisms levelled against widowhood practices as being externally influenced by Christianity and Western Feminism. Various stakeholders within the Akan community were given an opportunity to retell their own versions of widowhood practices. In order to achieve this purpose, the research extracted competing narratives from all the multiple sample subgroups of the proposed study: widows; widow family heads; chiefs; widowhood ritual practitioners; elderly female supervisors of widowhood practices; an official from the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ); an official from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MOWAC); and an official from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of Ghana. The study found out that despite legislative intervention and policy frameworks, the practice still persist among the Akan communities in Ghana. The reasons for the continued existence of such rituals are explained followed by recommendations for possible solutions.
19
Khewu-Mokati, N. P. D. "The use of animals by African people (Blacks) : an ethical perspective." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52584.
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Thesis (MPhil)-- Stellenbosch University, 2001.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This ethical case study of public slaughter has indicated that there is an urgent need to
address the issue of public slaughter, because it has resulted in animosity and polarisation
between black and white people living in the Goldfields. Black people feel that their rights
are violated, and they are not protected by the government because they encounter
problems when practising their rituals. White people feel that the government is not
protecting them from the health hazards caused by black people.
The ultimate aim of the study is to contribute to and amplify the existing body of knowledge
with regard to the extent of the problem experienced by people in the Goldfields, its impact
in their every day lives and to propose guidelines that will help when regulations governing
environmental issues are drawn.
In order to accomplish these aims the following objectives should be realised by this study:
• South Africa is a multi-racial country so a uniting policy is needed.
• Each culture is unique and it has a special value, so no culture must be
marginalised.
• The old policy needs to be revised and amendments made.
• Identify the actual causes of these problems. Are they racist driven or are they
driven by genuine health concerns?
This ethical study also indicates that the following are central values that should inform
decision-making:
• Health.
• Respect and tolerance.
• Communication.
• Participation.
Transparency.
• Commitment.
Based on the findings from the research conducted it is clear that both clashing parties
(black and white people) need to live in peace at the ultimate end although their
description of peaceful life differs, so the following recommendations are made as to how
to address and alleviate problems caused by public slaughter.
• A formal meeting must be convened to discuss this critical issue.
• Drafted proposals must be produced.
• The proposals must be debated.
• The proposal must be adopted.
• The existing bylaws must be changed.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie gevallestudie in etiek oor slagtery in die openbaar is bevind dat daar 'n
dringende behoefte bestaan om die probleem van slagtery in die openbaar aan te
spreek, veralomdat dit in die verlede reeds tot spanning en polarisasie tussen
swart en wit groepe in die Goudveld aanleiding gegee het. Swartmense voel dat
hulle regte aangetas word en dat hulle nie genoegsaam deur die owerheid
beskerm word om hulle rituele uit te voer nie. Witmense voel weer dat die
owerheid hulle nie beskerm teen gesondheidsgevare wat geskep word deur
swartmense nie.
Die uiteindelike doel van hierdie ondersoek is om 'n bydrae te lewer tot die
uitbouing van bestaande kennis oor die omvang van die probleem wat mense in
die Goudveld ondervind met slagtery in die openbaar, wat die impak daarvan is
op die alledaagse lewens van mense, en om voorstelle aan die hand te doen wat
gebruik kan word wanneer regulasies opgestel word oor omgewingskwessies
soos hierdie.
Om hierdie oogmerke te bereik sal die volgende punte in hierdie studie aandag
ontvang:
• Suid-Afrika is 'n veelrassige land, so 'n beleid word benodig wat mense
verenig.
• Elke kultuur is uniek en het 'n besondere waarde, dus geen kultuur mag
gemarginaliseer word nie.
• Die bestaande beleid moet hersien en aangepas word.
• Die werklike oorsake van die probleme moet geïdentifiseer word. Is hulle
rassisties van aard, of gebaseer op werklike gesondheidsoorweginge ?
In hierdie etiese studie is ook vasgestel dat die volgende kern-waardes die proses
van besluitneming behoort te beïnvloed:
• Gesondheid.
• Respek en verdraagsaamheid.
• Kommunikasie.
• Deelname.
• Deursigtigheid.
• Verbintenis ("commitment").
Vanuit die bevindinge van die navorsing is dit duidelik dat albei die botsende
partye (swart- en witmense) uiteindelik in vrede met mekaar moet saamleef,
alhoewel hulle omskrywings van 'n vreedsame lewe verskil van mekaar.
Gevolglik is die volgende aanbevelings gemaak om die probleem van slagtery in
die openbaar aan te spreek:
• 'n Formele byeenkoms moet saamgeroep word om die kritiese probleem te
bespreek.
• Skriftelike voorstelle moet vir so 'n byeenkoms opgestel word.
• Die voorstelle moet bespreek word.
• 'n Voorstel moet aanvaar word.
• Die bestaande regulasies moet verander word.
20
Maman, Saley. "Contribution à l'étude de l'histoire des Hausa: les Etats tsotsebaki des origines au XIXe siècle." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/212656.
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Solomon, Anne Catherine. "Division of the earth : gender, symbolism and the archaeology of the southern San." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21818.
Full textAbstract:
Bibliography: pages 180-207.<br>Gender studies in various disciplines, particularly anthropology, have shown that the opposition of masculine : feminine is commonly used to structure other cultural contrasts, and that the representation of this opposition in cultural products is in turn implicated in the cultural construction of gender content. This bidirectional problematic, supplementing the more limited critique of gender 'bias' and masculinist models, is the focus of this research into archaeological materials. Rock art is the principal archaeological 'trace' analysed. Because the impetus to gender studies comes principally from the critical standpoint of feminism, analyses of gender and gendering in archaeological materials are evaluated in the context of gender issues in the present day, in terms of archaeological 'reconstructions' as legitimising the existing gender order. Theoretical influences include feminism, hermeneutics, marxism, (post)- structuralism, semiotics, and discourse theory. Aspects of language, and, particularly, the oral narratives of various San groups - the /Xam, G /wi, !Kung, Nharo, and others - are examined in order to establish the way in which masculinity and femininity are/have been conceptualised and differentiated by San peoples. This is followed by an assessment of the manner of and extent to which the masculine: feminine opposition informs narrative content and structure. The analysis of language texts permits an approach to the representation of this opposition in non-language cultural texts (such as visual art, space). Particular constructions of masculinity and femininity, and a number of gendered contrasts (pertaining to form, orientation, time, number, quality) are identified. Gender symbolism is linked to the themes of rain and fertility/ continuity, and analysed in political terms, according to the feminist materialist contention that, in non-class societies, gender opposition is potentially the impetus to social change. Gender(ing) is more fundamental to San cultural texts than has been, recognised, being present in a range of beliefs which are linked by their gender symbolism. I utilise a 'fertility hypothesis', derived from a reading of the ethnographies, in order to explain various elements of Southern African rock art, Well-preserved (thus relatively recent) paintings, principally from sites in the Drakensberg and south-western Cape, were selected. Features interpreted via this hypothesis include: images of humans, the motif of the thin red line fringed with white dots, 'elephants in boxes', therianthropic figures, and 'androgynous' figures, including the eland. The spatial organisation of the art, the significance of non-realistic perspectives, and the problem of the numerical male dominance of the art are also interpreted from this standpoint. The analysis permits critique, of the theorisation of gender and ideology in rock art studies, and of the biophysical determinism implicit in current rock art studies, in which attempts are made to explain many features of the art by reference to trance states, altered consciousness and neurophysiological constitution. Rain, rather than trance, is proposed as the central element of San ritual/religious practices. Finally, the treatment of (or failure to consider) gender(ing) in the archaeological record is situated in relatio.n to contemporary gender ideologies, in the contexts of archaeological theory and practice.
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Hirst, Manton Myatt. "The healer's art : Cape Nguni diviners in the townships of Grahamstown." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001601.
Full textAbstract:
This is a study of Cape Nguni diviners practising in the townships of Grahamstown where, during the 1970s, there was a large and active concentration of diviners treating clients from the locality, the rural areas and even the large urban centres further afield. The study situates local diviners in the socio-economic, cultural and religious context of contemporary township Iife during the 1970s (see chapter 1 and section 2.1). The personalities and socio-economic circumstances of diviners (and herbalists) are described as well as their case-loads, the various problems they treat, the relations between them and their clients, the economics of healing and the ethics pertaining to the profession (see chapter 2) . Chapter three focuses on the various problems and afflictions - which are largely of an interpersonal nature - suffered by those who are eventually inducted as diviners and the ritual therapy this necessarily entails. Here we see how the diviner, what Lewis (1971) terms a 'wounded healer', becomes an expert in interpersonal and social relations as a result of suffering problems - largely connected to the family but not necessarily limited to it - in interpersonal relations and that require a ritual, and thus social, prophylaxis. The main theoretical argument is that the diviner, qua healer, functions as a hybrid of Levi-Strauss' s bricoleur and Castaneda's 'man of knowledge' artfully combining the ability of the former to invert, mirror or utilise analogies from linguistics to make everything meaningful and the ability of the latter to creatively bend reality . The diviner's cosmology is described in terms of a 'handy', limited but extensive cultural code/repertoire of signs, symbols and metaphors that is utilised in getting the message across to others and in which animals bear the main symbolic load (see chapter 4). This leads logically to a reappraisal of Hammond-Tooke's (1975b) well-known model of Cape Nguni symbolic structure particularly in so far as it pertains to the way in which diviners classify animals, both wild and domestic (see section 4.6). A striking evocation and confirmation of the view argued here, namely of the diviner as bricoleur/'man of knowledge', is contained in chapter five dealing with an analysis of the diviner's 'river' myth and the context, form and content of the divinatory consultation itself. Finally, the conclusions, arising out of this study of contemporary Cape Nguni diviners in town, are evaluated in the ligrht of Lewis's (1966, 1971, 1986) deprivation hypothesis of spirit possession (see chapter 6)
23
Nenungwi, Tondani Grace. "Tsedzuluso ya thuthuwedzo ya lutendo lwa vhuloi kha vhushaka vhukati ha vhathu kha Tshivenda." Thesis, University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/921.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A.) --University of Limpopo, 2010<br>Ngudo iyi i khou sedzulusa ṱhuṱhuwedzo ya lutendo lwa vhuloi kha vhushaka vhukati ha vhathu kha Tshivenḓa. Luambo lu kwamaho matshilisano na vhupfiwa zwi ḓo dzhielwa nzhele. Hu ḓo sedziwa na maipfi a elanaho na zwa vhuloi. Izwi zwi ḓo itwa ho katelwa vhuḓipfi, u vhaisala, kudzhielwe kwa zwithu, mbeu na maambele musi hu na lutendo lwa zwa vhuloi. Ndi zwa ndeme u ḓivha uri dziṅanga dzi na luambo lu ne dza lu shumisa u sumbedzisa vhuloi ngeno vho vhafunzi vha zwa vhurereli vha na maitele na maambele a vho.
24
Van, Heerden Gary Paul. "Holding on or letting go?: the resolution of grief in relation to two Xhosa rituals in South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016055.
Full textAbstract:
The dominant emphasis in Western models of bereavement is on the breaking of bonds with the deceased in order for healing to occur. Failure to let go often leads to a diagnosis of 'pathological grief'. This paper challenges the assumption that death invariably means that the bonds with the deceased have to be severed. Situating Western models of bereavement in a modernist context not only challenges the 'truth' claims of these models, but also facilitates a deconstruction of the elements that contribute to the emphasis on letting go. In contrast to these theories, two Xhosa rituals (umkhapho and umbuyiso) that seek to sustain the bond with the deceased person will be examined. Such rituals demonstrate that it is possible to both maintain the bond and for the bereaved person to move on with their lives. Despite different contexts, it will be argued that these Xhosa bereavement rituals have a contribution to make to Western models of bereavement and some implications for therapy will be explored.
25
Sombhane, Mihloti Penelope. "The speech act of apology in Xitsonga educational contexts /." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/1803.
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Gimenez, Amoros Luis. "Haul Music : transnationalism and musical performance in the Saharaui refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002302.
Full textAbstract:
The thesis presents ethnographic data and musical analysis (in the form of transcriptions) of Haul music which is the music style performed by Bedouin societies in Trab el Bidan region (Mauritania, Western Sahara, northern Mali, southern Algeria and northern Morocco). It is based on field research undertaken in Algeria in 2004-05 in the refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria, where Saharaui people (a Bedouin society)live in exile. This research is unique and original as Haul has not, until now, been explored in depth by any scholar. My research on Haul reveals that the changes in Saharaui music in the refugee camps of Tindouf reflect changes in the musical traditions of Bedouin societies as whole; changes that can be traced to the revolution which occurred in Western Sahara in 1975, and changes that are a result of the migrations and life in exile that followed. I argue that these changes occurred due to the transnational experiences undergone by Saharaui people in their forced exile (caused by the Moroccan state) from their homeland in Western Sahara to Algeria. Further, I assert that the invocation of memory in Bedouin musical styles is evidence of past musical practices being retained in contemporary Haul performance, although other musical changes are similarly in progress.
27
Mahada, Livhuwani Paul. "Ethical dilemmas of circumcision school with reference to the Venda." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/49950.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.<br>Full text to be digitised and attached to bibliographic record.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Morbidity and mortality are national problems that affect a vast number of children and young
adults each year in Circumcision Schools. The number of children who either get sick or die
of traditional circumcision school is probably high. "In one study of penile mutilation
practice (in 1990) of the Xhosa tribe of Southern Africa, 9 % of mutilated boys died: 52 %
lost all or most of their penile shaft skin: 14 % developed severe infectious lesions: 10% lost
their glans penis; and 5 % lost their entire penis. This represents only those boys who made it
to the hospital," (Denniston and Milos, 1997: v). The problem is still the same and this could
mean that the true complication statistics is likely to be much higher if the entire South Africa
is taken into consideration.
Although traditional circumcision was well intended, the recent spate of death puts it under
threat. Besides, there are many other controversial acts that are taking place within the school
itself. There are many illegal schools instituted by inexperienced traditional surgeons. The
plight is further worsened by the commercialisation of the traditional institution. It is painful
to note that the camps which were normally held in winter for children to heal faster are now
also held in summer. The outmoded system of administration in this institution and the health
hazards experienced, confronts parents, children and the entire community with a dilemma - a
dilemma that warrants ethical reflection.
The dilemma poses a serious challenge to the cultures that practice the traditional ritual of
circumcision. Many of the advisers of this thesis agree (the likes of Prof. C.S. van der Waal,
Prof G. Tangwa, Chief T.l Ramovha, Traditional healer Mashudu Dima and Dr D. Sidler)
that we don't have to do away with the school as such, but that there is a need to either change
and improve certain things in this school. Social change and medical awareness seem very
important in this regard. The hurdle created by this dilemma, though daunting, can be
overcome. We need education, cooperation, dialogue, rationality and true reflection on our
culture to work this problem out. Until our children are safe from the threat of morbidity and
mortality, no one is safe. I therefore think that many human errors could paint an
unfavourable picture on the traditional Circumcision School, whereby creating ethical
dilemmas. The ethical dilemma could be a starting point for critical reflection on culture and
tradition with the hope for change and future progress. It is such a challenge that
Circumcision Schools should face and which they urgently need.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ernstige beserings en 'n hoë dodetal in besnyding-skool is 'n nasionale probleem wat
elke jaar talle kinders en jong volwassenes affekteer. Die getal kinders waarvan die
gesondheid aangetas word of wat selfs sterf in dié tradisionele besnyding-skole is
waarskynlik haag. "In one study of penile mutilation practice (in J 990) of the Xhosa
tribe of Southern Africa, 9% of mutilated boys died: 52% lost all or most of their
penile shaft skin: J4% died developed serious infectious lesions: J0% lost their glans
penis; and 5% lost their entire penis. This represents only the boys who made it to
hospital" (Denniston and Milos, 1997:v). Dié probleem bestaan voort, en dit mag
beteken dat die ware ongevalle syfer veel hoër mag wees, sou die hele Suid Afrika in
berekening gebring word.
Alhoewel besnyding tradisioneel welbedoeld is, word dié praktyk nou bedreig deur
die onlangse vlaag van sterftes. Daarbenewens is daar vele ander kontroversïele
praktyke wat in dié skole self bedryf word. 'n Groot aantal van die skole is onwettig
en word deur onervare tradisionele sjirurge bedryf. Dié problem word verder vererger
deur die kommersialisering van dié tradisionele institusie. Dit is ook kommerwekkend
om daarop te let dat waar dit gebruiklik was om dié kampe in die winter te hou - vir
die sneller herstel van die kinders - hulle nou ook in die somer beslag neem. Die
verouderde sisteem waarmee dié institusie se administrasie bedryf word, sowel as die
gesondheids-gevare wat daarmee gepaard gaan, stelouers, kinders en die gemeenskap
as geheel voor 'n dilemma - 'n dilemma wat etiese nadenke verg.
Dié dilemma bied 'n ernstige uitdaging tot die kulture wat steeds die instelling van
besnyding huldig. Soveel as sekere van die bydraes binne die vervolgende
verhandeling (bv. Dié van Proff. c.S. De Waal, G. Tangwa, Hoofman T.J. Ramovha,
Tradisionele heler Mashudu Dima en Dr. D. Sidler) saamstem dat daar nie ingeheel
van die skole afgesien hoef te word nie, is daar wel 'n nood om sekere aspekte
daarvan te hersien en verbeter. Sosiale verandering en 'n mediese perspektief is van
groot belang hiertoe. Die struikelblok wat deur hierdie dilemma veroorsaak word -
hoewel intimiderend - kán weloorkom word. Daar is 'n nood vir opvoeding,
samewerking, dialoog, redelikheid en 'n ware nadenke oor ons kultuur om hierdie
probleem die hoof te bied. Tot tyd en wylons kinders veilig staan van die dubbele gevare van besering en dood, is niemand veilig nie. Ek dink dus dat, terwyl verskeie
etiese dilemma's ongunstige beeld skep van menslike foute, hulle ook vra om insigte
rondom die menslike kultuur, en om hoop vir toekomstige vooruitgang. Dit is wat
tradisionele besnyding-skole benodig.
28
Baeke, Viviane. "Le temps des rites: l'univers magico-religieux des Wuli :Mfumte du Cameroun occidental." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/212336.
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Phoofolo, Pule. "In time of plague : the Basotho and the rinderpest, 1896-8." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002405.
Full textAbstract:
Rinderpest, the most dreaded bovine plague, struck the cattle of the BaSotho in British Basutoland early in 1897. By December the murrain had spent itself, having reduced the cattle population by half As it did so, the rinderpest claimed the primary historical significance of an epidemic. By sharpening behaviour and illuminating latent or developing tendencies, the rinderpest helped to reveal the nooks and crannies of contemporary historical processes that would have otherwise eluded historical visibility. This thesis brings out the complexities and ambiguities surrounding the epidemic. It uses the crisis occasioned by the panzootic in its multifaceted manifestations as a prism through which we might view the complex aspects of contemporary historical processes. It goes beyond the narrow limits of the crisis itself to discerning the broader and wider historical patterns that the rinderpest helped to highlight.
30
Shabalala, Brian Christian Thamsanqa. "An analysis of account on love affairs in IsiZulu." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2064.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MA (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.<br>This study explores the theoretical work in the articulation of the motivations and conditions
for account-giving in isiZulu. In this context, accounts are similar to narratives and can be
retained at the level of private reflections or written diary entries or for others to read and
refer to from time to time.
The account-giving process, according to Waldron (1997), is like a “life in motion” in which
individual characters are portrayed as moving through their experiences, dealing with
conflicts or problems in their lives and, at the same time, searching for resolutions. It is the
quest to understand the major stresses in each individual’s mind that is at the core of this
study. The why-questions that are the result of the daily experiences of destitution,
depression, death, disability, etc. are also addressed here.
Narrative accounts form the basis of moral and social events and, as such, stories have two
elements through which they are explored. They are explored from the point of view of,
firstly, the way in which they are told and, secondly, the way in which they are lived within a
social context. These stories follow a historically or culturally based format and, to this effect,
Gergen (1994) suggests narrative criteria that constitute a historically contingent narrative
form. Narrative forms are linguistic tools that have important social functions to fulfil
satisfactorily, such as stability narrative, progressive narrative and regressive narrative.
According to Gergen (1994), self-narratives are social processes in which individuals are
realised on the personal perspective or experience and, as such, their emotions are viewed as
constitutive features of relationship. The self-narratives used and analysed in this study
portray the contemporary culture-based elements or segments of a well-formed narrative.
31
Momoti, Ndyebo Kingsworth. "Law and culture in the new constitutional dispensation with specific reference to the custom of circumcision as practiced in the Eastern Cape." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003200.
Full textAbstract:
This study examines the custom of circumcision in the context of culture, law and the Constitution. In Chapter 1 the writer considers the pervasive role of culture in the context of the current debate in relation to equality versus culture. In Chapter 2 the writer considers the origin, development and the legal significance of the custom of circumcision in the Eastern Cape. In Chapter 3 the writer traces the circumstances leading to the enactment of the Provincial statute governing circumcision of children. In this chapter the writer also poses the question whether an aspect of morality can effectively be regulated by law. Chapter 4 looks at the question of cultural rights in terms of the Constitution and the possible effect of the promulgation of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities Act 19 of 2000 on the approach of the courts in respect of constitutional challenges directed at some aspects of customary law. Chapter 5 looks at the custom of circumcision and the need for the protection of children. The writer raises the issue of the role of traditional leaders in the eradication of abuses associated with circumcision. The last Chapter comments on the reasons for the failure of the new Act governing circumcision in the Province.
32
Petit, Pierre. "Rites familiaux, rites royaux: étude du système cérémoniel des Luba du Shaba, Zaïre." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/212757.
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Pezisa, Lindiswa. "Ubuntu: linking indigenous values with efforts in building a reconciled South Africa: the case of NMMU." Thesis, Nelson Mandela University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14477.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates the role that African indigenous value systems, Ubuntu in particular, could play in building a reconciled South Africa. In doing so a discourse analysis on Ubuntu is conducted and its potential in facilitating social cohesion in the quest for nation building. Specific focus is drawn on higher education an important task if we are to consider the accusation that higher education like its society, is still undergoing transformation and is under pressure to provide quality education for all people whilst also considering the large numbers of cultures that exist. For much needs to be done in redressing the imbalances caused by the apartheid education system which was organized according to racial lines. In doing so, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is utilised as a case study with narrative presentations of how students perceive this traditional African value and its applicability to reconciliation in a post conflict society. For seemingly, there is something inherently important about this value in that it has been invoked and referred to in many important instances in South African history.
34
Khoza, Phumlile Tina. "A study of the powers of the Swazi monarch in terms of Swazi law and custom past, present and the future." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004723.
Full textAbstract:
The thesis covers the branches of law known as Constitutional law and Customary law. It focuses on the powers of the Swazi monarch, which are based on a combination of the received Western law and Swazi custom. For the purposes of this study, therefore, Swazi law and custom shall be taken to include both the statutory law and the yet unwritten customary law. Swaziland is black Africa's only remaining traditional monarchy, ruled as it is by the Ngwenyama, an indigenous institution, whose origin is derived from custom. The resilience of this ancient system of government in a continent where modernisation and constitutional democracy among other factors have led to its extinction is phenomenal, particularly because some commentators have described traditionalism in modern Africa as an "embarrassing anachronism.' In Swaziland the monarchy continues to be a vibrant system and the nation is currently engaged in a process of not only codifying the customary law but also of drafting the constitution of the country. One of the key areas of concern is the question of the distribution of power between the monarch and the people under the proposed constitution. Traditionalists are of the view that the powers that the King currently exercises should remain intact as they are a reflection of the Swazi law and custom. Progressives, on the other hand, are of the view that the current position makes the King an absolute monarch and are thus proposing a change from an absolute to a constitutional monarch. In other words they want some kind of checks and balances in the envisaged system of government. The study will show that the constitutional evolution of Swaziland and the exigencies of synthesising modern and traditional systems of governance have over the years obscured the true nature of the powers of the monarch in terms of Swazi custom. Thus before we can consider whether the future of the monarchy in Swaziland depends on the harmonisation of modern and traditional systems of governance, it is necessary to revisit the past to determine the powers of the monarch in their embryonic form, for it is from this period that we can extrapolate the powers of the Ngwenyama in terms of Swazi custom. The thesis has been arranged as follows: The first chapter will review the precolonial political system of Swaziland with a view to establishing whether monarchical authority was founded on command or consensus. The various theories, which seek to explain the foundations of the monarchical system of government, will be outlined. The second chapter will focus on European influence on the Swazi traditional system of government. The third chapter will be an analysis of the powers of the monarch under the 1968 independence constitution. The fourth chapter will focus on the effect of the repeal of the 1968 independence constitution by the Monarch. The fifth chapter will focus on the constitutional reforms under the reign of king Mswati III. The sixth and last chapter focus on proposals for reform. The research method used was in the main, an analysis of relevant legal principles as contained in textbooks, legislation, journals, the scant case law that is available in this area of the law and other relevant materials. A comparative survey of ancient African kingdoms will be done, with emphasis on those Kingdoms, which later became British colonial possessions. It is hoped that this comparative analysis will help explain the evolution of these traditional structures alongside modern governmental institutions.
35
Penzura, Crymore. "The African philosophical conception of personal naming among the Shona speaking people of Zimbabwe." Thesis, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/27843.
Full textAbstract:
Text in English with summaries in English, Shona and isiXhosa<br>Bibliography: leaves 140-144<br>Personal names carry significant meaning in African cultures. The research critically
argues that among the Shona speaking people of Zimbabwe, given names are not just
mere tags or labels but carry and convey a significant message to the family or society
of the named person. The message is often descriptive of the person named or their
family. It describes the circumstances around the birth of the named or the conditions
of their parents or their country and or their environment. The research further shows
that names derived from socio-cultural experiences may have a plurality of meanings
and also that they may be used to predict or explain something about the person
named, including their parents or environment. Philosophically then, to name is to
confirm, or to negate, and to confer something to the person named or to describe the
circumstances of their birth.<br>Mazita edungamunhu ane chirevo mutsika nemagariro evanhu vemuAfrica. Donzvo
retsvakurudzo ino rinotaura nezvevanhu verudzi rweChiShona munyika yeZimbabwe, richiti
mazita anopihwa vana haangova mazita chete, asi anetsanangudzo yakakosha zvikuru
kumhuri kana kuti munzvimbo yaberekerwa munhu wacho, kana kuti kumuridzi wezita racho.
Tsananguro yacho inotaura nezvemuridzi wezita kana kuti kumhuri yaaberekerwa.
Tsananguro yacho inotsanangudza mamiriro enguva yaberekwa munhu wacho kana kuti tsika
nemagariro evabereki vake kana mamiriro emunyika yaaberekwa kana kuti munzvimbo
yaaberekerwa. Tsvakurudzo ino inoenderera mberi ichitaura kuti mazita evanhu anobva
mutsika memagariro evanhu anoreva zvinhu zvakawanda nekuti dzimwe nguva
anoshandiswa kutaura zvichauya kana kutsanangura nezvemuridzi wezita kana vabereki
vake, dzimwe dzenguva nzvimbo yavanogara. Saka fungidziro inoti, kupa zita kubvumirana
kana kupikisana, kana kuti kugadza chigaro pamunhu kana kuti katsanangudza mamiriro
akaita nguva yaaberekwa.<br>gama lomntu linentsingiselo enzulu kwiinkcubeko zama-Afrika. Uphando lubonisa
ngokucacileyo ukuba phakathi kwabantu baseZimbabwe abantetho isisiShona, igama
alinikwayo umntu asinto nje yokuphawula, koko ngumyalezo obalulekileyo omalunga nosapho
okanye uluntu lwalowo uthiywa igama. Lo myalezo ula ngokuchaza ngalowo uthiywayo
okanye usapho lwakhe. Kuchazwa iimeko ezingqonge ukuzalwa kwakhe okanye imeko
yabazali bakhe, isizwe sakhe okanye indalo ebangqongileyo. Uphando lubonakalisa ukuba
amagama asekelwe kumava enkcubeko nezentlalo anganeentsingiselo eziliqela. Ngaphaya
koko, la magma asenokusetyeniziselwa ukuqikelela okanye ukucacisa okuthile malunga nalo
uthiywayo, abazali bakhe okanye indalo ebangqongileyo. Ngokwefilosofi ke ngoko, ukuthiya
igama kukungqina okanye kukuphikisa, kukubethelela inyaniso ethile ngomntu othiywa igama,
ikwakukuchaza iimeko zokuzalwa kwakhe.<br>Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology<br>M. Phil. (Philosophy)
36
Mhaka, Vushebwashe. ""Becoming a Christ for your neighbour" : exploring Luther's notion of neighbourliness in light of ukama and ubuntu in the Zimbabwean Lutheran church." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/2879.
Full textAbstract:
The history of conflict in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ) has had negative results for the life of the church. This history has seen at its best the disintegration of the strongest social cords that ever existed, including the indigenous resources ubuntu and ukama. In the communal life of the Shona and the Ndebele in Zimbabwe, the concepts of ukama and ubuntu challenge, in a neighbourly way, negative views that people hold against each another. This position is strengthened by Luther’s teaching on neighbourliness through the metaphor of “becoming a Christ for your neighbour.” This metaphor expresses the deeper relationship that exists within members of the same faith shared with those outside their boundaries. Luther’s notion of neighbourliness can be combined with the local resources to achieve unity and break tensions within the local communities in Zimbabwe. Divisions and tensions tarnish human identities and mar the future potential of people in the country in general. Besides, the tensions and divisions distract the vision and purpose of the church in society. An indigenous African theology of unity can be constructed to counter the dehumanization of humanity. This study attempts to construct a local theological framework of unity that can guide the ELCZ in the continuing divisions and tensions that exist.<br>Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.
37
Sapiencia, Chisadza. "The place and role of women as depicted in proverbs among the Karanga culture of Zaka district in Zimbabwe." Diss., 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26528.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-131)<br>This study investigates the place of the Shona-Karanga women as reflected in Shona
proverbs concerning women. Reviewed literature covers the world, African and
Zimbabwean perspectives on women. It discusses and examines changes in the role and
status of Shona –Karanga women in the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods.
The study examines men’s attitude towards women, women’s attitude towards
themselves and women’s responsibilities in Shona-Karanga communities in relation to
Shona proverbs. Proverbial statements discussed were from participants and other
sources. Government’s effort in improving the women’s status was examined. The study
uses mixed research methods of data generation and presentation. Research findings
show that women lost their glory during the colonial period but the blame is levelled
against Karanga culture which actually holds women with high esteem. The study
established that most participants were ignorant of proverbs concerning women. The
research was an eye opener to women about the tremendous potential they have<br>African Languages<br>M.A. (African languages)
38
Shumbamhini, Mercy. "Storying widowhood in Shona culture." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1135.
Full textAbstract:
A group of four widows undertook this research journey with me. They reflected on their widowhood experiences. Narrative and participatory practices guided our conversations. Participatory, contextual, postmodern, liberational feminist theology, poststructuralism and the social construction theory of reality informed this work.
Reflective and summarising letters after each group meeting played a central part in the research. The letters were structured to make visible the "taken-for-granted" which informed the widows about who and what they are. The alternative stories of preferred widowhood practices that emerged during and between sessions were centralised in the letters. Elements of transformation, hope and empowerment surfaced as counter stories to the culture of oppression, providing the scaffolding for re-storying their lives. The group formed Chiedza Widows Association in order to support other widows who are still marginalised.<br>Practical Theology<br>(M.Th - Specialisation Pastoral Therapy))
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Ndoga, Sampson S. "The contemporary significance of home based nurturing with reference to wisdom poems in the Book of Proverbs and Shona traditional culture." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/569.
Full textAbstract:
There is presumed dialogue between the book of Proverbs and Shona wisdom poems in dealing with the subject of home based nurturing towards societal stability. The underlying principle in both approaches, it seems, is that preparation for life begins in the home. Its negligence could account for societal breakdown. This study seeks to explore, on the one hand, the contemporary validity of home based nurturing as observed in these traditional settings, and on the other, to investigate whether this dialogue yields a methodological approach of using Africa to interpret the Old Testament.
The assumption we are taking in this study is that societal stability begins in the home. A socio-rhetorical reading of Proverbs 1-9 seems to reveal that these texts were written from the perspective of a parent-teacher, with years of experience and attained wisdom, which creates a forum to pass on this knowledge to a child-student. The common approach in both traditional settings is that the speaker employs wisdom poems, (memorable compositions) and local sayings (observed phenomena) to illustrate or illumine a given everyday reality as the prescriptive solution for becoming successful in life. Thus, wisdom poems, both biblical and Shona, are almost consistently used to communicate truth and lessons for life. For that reason, the reading of the book of Proverbs and that of Shona wisdom poems demands a novel hermeneutical approach.<br>Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies<br>D. Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Studies)
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Manley, Marcelle. "Soil and blood : Shona traditional region in late 20th century Zimbabwe." Diss., 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/18115.
Full textAbstract:
This qualitative study focuses on two questions:
a) Do present-day Shona still subscribe to the world-view of their ancestors?
b) How does this world-view relate to that of the modern (Western) world?
Interviews were conducted with government representatives, chiefs in Masvingo Province
and people in all walks of life. Virtually all interviewees, even when participating in the
"modern" sector (including Christianity), still subscribe to the traditional system.
Government, however, has adopted the model of the pre-Independence government, with
some concessions to tradition.
The traditional world-view (emphasising its key symbols, blood and soil) and the history of
the two dominant tribes in Masvingo Province are outlined. A case study of a current
chieftaincy dispute illustrates the dilemma.
Conclusion: searching dialogue between the two belief systems is needed to resolve the
potentially creative ambivalence. Some key issues are suggested as starting points for such
dialogue.<br>M.A. (Religious Studies)
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Gwaravanda, Ephraim Taurai. "A critical analysis of the contribution of selected Shona proverbs to Applied Philosophy." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/20980.
Full textAbstract:
The research focuses on the epistemic tension between Western positivist epistemology and African indigenous knowledge systems particularly Shona proverbs. The research argues that Western epistemological hegemony is both unjustified and unacceptable in the context of the pluriversal understanding of knowledge where systems of knowledge are both multiple and diverse. After a critique of Eurocentric thinking, the research defends an African epistemological paradigm that emerges as an alternative framework for the authentic and legitimate study of African knowledge systems and ways of knowing. The approach opens intellectual space for the philosophical study of Shona proverbs. Under Shona environmental philosophy, it shall be argued that ubuntu respects all aspects of the environment, recognizes the dependence of human beings on the environment, sees the land as sacred and affords responsibility for future generations by encouraging the preservation and conservation of resources. Three Shona proverbs have been used to show how the Shona think about preservation of natural resources, conservation of natural resources and the interdependence between humanity and the natural world. In the context of Shona philosophy of law, it is argued that ubuntu provides the basis of a coherent philosophy of law among the Shona. Shona philosophy of law is a reflection of legal elements and the study draws these elements from selected proverbs. These proverbs have been used to show the metaphysical basis of Shona legal philosophy, the role of the law in protecting the dignity of individuals and the importance of the law in peace building within the community. Concerning political philosophy, the study has argued that ubuntu is the political foundation of solidarity, oneness and mutual support in politics. Shona political philosophy stresses coexistence and relatedness (ukama) within the community. Shona political philosophy maintains that authority should be guided by respect, good governance, solidarity and peace. Under Shona philosophy of economics, themes of human dignity, respect for hard work and the need for moderation in the desire for money are discussed in the context of the Shona philosophical worldview. The proverbs under study contribute to alternative ways of philosophical reflection in the context of the pluriversality of knowledge<br>Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology<br>D.Litt et Phil. (Philosophy)
42
Muchabaiwa, Wonder. "Gender dynamics of the small house phenomenon in the Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe." Thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/25554.
Full textAbstract:
Text in English<br>The small house phenomenon amongst the Shona people in contemporary Zimbabwe forms part of the relationship and household arrangements amongst certain heterosexual couples. In cases where partners engage in small house relationships, it has specific implications for existing marriage and family dynamics. The study sought to address the question: What are the perceptions on gender dynamics of the small house phenomenon as an emerging family structure in contemporary Zimbabwean society? The relative newness as well as the secretive nature and complexity of the small house relationship, render the nuances of gender dynamics in such contexts worth exploring to add value to the Sociology of Families and gender dynamics. The research was conducted in Harare metropolitan province and adopted social exchange theory and African feminism to illuminate the gender dynamics in small house households. It utilised a qualitative research paradigm and employed in-depth interviews to collect data from 30 participants who were purposively sampled. Findings of the study reveal that although the small house relationship may at times be informed by the ideals of traditional Shona polygynous marital practices, it differs in several respects with polygyny as it attempts to adapt to the socio-economic demands of the 21st century. The study uncovers that the social exchanges in small house relationships are not only gendered, but also based on inequalities relating to class, age and lineage. The small house relationship at times perpetuates gender inequalities between the partners involved. The study exposed how certain small house relationships were inundated with a myriad of problems including gender-based violence, financial constraints and increased susceptibility to HIV and AIDS and other STIs. Problems experienced in small house households are often exacerbated by the secretive nature of the relationship. Furthermore, a form of hegemonic masculinity and emphasised femininity, which are manifestations of the deeply entrenched patriarchal hegemony in the Shona culture, results in asymmetrical intimate relations. It was also revealed that small house households may inadvertently violate children’s rights, including opportunities to access and secure education and social security. Reportedly, disengaged fatherhood in the context of the small house can affect children’s welfare and socialisation negatively.<br>Sociology<br>D. Phil. (Sociology)
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Chimhanda, Francisca Hildegardis. "An incarnational Christology set in the context of narratives of Shona women in present day Zimbabwe." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/598.
Full textAbstract:
Implicit in the concepts Incarnation, narrative, Christology, Shona women of Zimbabwe today is
the God who acts in human history and in the contemporaneity and particularity of our being.
The Incarnation as the embodiment of God in the world entails seizing the kairos opportunity to
expand the view and to bear the burdens of responsibility. A theanthropocosmic Christology that
captures the Shona holistic world-view is explored. The acme for a relational Christology is the
imago Dei/Christi and the baptismal indicative and imperative. God is revealed in various
manifestations of creation. Human identity and dignity is the flipside of God's attributes.
Theanthropocosmic Christology as pluralistic, differential and radical brings about a dialectic
between the whole and its parts, the uniqueness of the individual, communal ontology and
epistemology, the local and the universal, orthodoxy and orthopraxis, Christology and
soteriology. God mediates in the contingency of particularity. Emphasis is on life-affirmation
rather than sex determination of Jesus as indicated by theologies of liberation and inculturation.
At the interface gender, ethnicity, class and creed, God transcends human limitedness and
artificial boundaries in creating catholic space and advocating all-embracing apostolic action.
Difference is appreciated for the richness it brings both to the individual and the community.
Hegemonic structures and borderless texts are view with suspicion as totalising grand~narratives
and exclusivist by using generic language. The kairos in dialogue with the Incarnation is seizing
the moment to expand the view and to share the burdens, joys and responsibility in a community
of equal discipleship.
In a hermeneutic of engagement and suspicion, prophetic witness is the hallmark of Christian
discipleship and of a Christology that culminates in liberative praxis. The Christology that
emerges from Shona women highlights a passionate appropriation that involves the head, gut,
womb and heart and underlies the circle symbolism. The circle is the acme of Shona hospitality
and togetherness in creative dialogue with the Trinitarian koinonia. The Shona Christological
designation Muponesi (Deliverer-Midwife) in dialogue with the Paschal Mystery motif captures
the God-human-cosmos relationship that gives a Christology caught up in the rhythms,
dynamism and drama of life.<br>Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology<br>D.Th. (Systematic Theology)
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Mulambuzi, Francis Xavier. "Beliefs in ancestral spirits : interpreting contemporary attitudes of the Baganda to the ancestors." Thesis, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/5948.
Full textAbstract:
Ancestors represent a more enduring reality in the African world-view than deities,
other non-human spirits, or amulets and charms. This thesis argues that many
Baganda have beliefs in ancestors. Much of the knowledge on ancestors in Buganda
is still confined to oral tradition. It can be useful to have some material on the
ancestors in a written form. The time will come when those who know about the
subject will die and much of the information will disappear with them for ever.
Early European writers on Baganda people touched the topic of ancestors only briefly
in their texts, without reaching great depth. The subject is given little space in their
works. Hence, they missed some major and dynamic aspects of the Baganda religion
and beliefs. Another point is that there are many changes that have taken place and
influenced Baganda's beliefs since these writers produced their works. By highlighting
those changes, this thesis tries to give a clear picture of what has transpired between
the period when those early writers wrote and today (1996), as far as such beliefs are
concerned. The early part of the thesis defines the word ancestor and other key
concepts. It gives a general analysis of ancestors in Africa. Then it moves on to
consider ancestors and the ancestral cult in Buganda. The thesis describes the earliest
accounts of the cult of ancestors in the pre-colonial period after which it looks at
ancestral observances. The effects of christianity, Islam, and political independence
on Baganda ancestral beliefs are discussed. The final stage of the study covers my
findings from fieldwork. This includes statements from some of the informants I
interviewed during fieldwork and my own conclusions regarding change and the
contemporary situation.
In this study, I have reflected on the perspectives of recent academic findings in order
to facilitate comprehensive descriptions, analysis, discussion and careful interpretation
of the beliefs under investigation. The ability of the Baganda people to retain their
traditional beliefs along with basic Christian, Muslim and modern beliefs has been
described and discussed.<br>Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.
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Chuene, Maria M. "Belief systems of Xhosa-speaking people on HIV/AIDS." Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/438.
Full textAbstract:
This study explores the following research problem: given that knowledge influences our behaviour, how do the belief systems of elderly Xhosa elderly people about HIV/Aids influence their behaviour? The goal of the study was to explore and describe the belief systems of Xhosa-speaking people about HIV/Aids, specifically focusing on elderly people. The goal was also to reach conclusions about how these belief systems influence their knowledge. The objectives were threefold: firstly to conduct interviews with respondents; secondly to do a literature study with the aim of doing a literature control; and, thirdly, to reach conclusions about the belief systems of elderly Xhosa-speaking people. The research employed a qualitative paradigm and a phenomenological qualitative design. The research setting was defined as a township area that is situated in the south-eastern part of Johannesburg or Gauteng area. The researcher chose ten respondents who were all Xhosa-speaking and elderly, and the interviews were conducted individually. Non-probability or judgemental sampling, which is also known as convenience sampling, was used. The interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim, and field notes were also used as another method of collecting data. The data was analysed according to the eight steps of Tesch (1990) in Cresswell (1995:155). The process of data verification was done according to Guba’s Model of Trustworthiness (in Krefting, 1991:215-222). The actions taken to ensure trustworthiness included prolonged and varied engagement, triangulation, peer examination of research methodology, interviewing techniques and skills such as probing, clarifying, reframing and establishing the researcher’s authority. Seven themes and eleven categories with their sub-categories were drawn from the data obtained during the interviews. The first theme was: how do people contract the HIV/Aids virus? Under this theme, there were eight categories: contraceptives, cancer, sexual intercourse, witchcraft, sexually transmitted disease, blood transmission, sores and respect for cultural norms. The second theme was prevention and treatment, which included the following categories: condoms, one partner and trust, traditional herbs, medicine and prayer. Theme three was: how did HIV/Aids develop? Theme four was: how can people avoid getting HIV/Aids? Theme five was: who gets HIV/Aids? Theme six was: who brought HIV/Aids? Theme seven was: do you know anyone who has HIV/Aids and how do you think the person was infected? Specific conclusions were drawn based on these findings. Firstly, it was concluded that people contract the virus in many ways, as mentioned above – such as through unsafe sexual intercourse (see paragraph 2 above). Secondly, people like immigrants and drug injectors are more susceptible to spreading the Aids virus. Thirdly, the issue of cultural dominance also increases the spreading of the virus due to the failure to practise safe sex. Fourthly, people lack knowledge about the virus. Fifthly, HIV/Aids cannot be cured by medicine, traditional means or even the church. Instead, it can be treated by using drugs, such as neviropine, zidovidine and other medicines which can stop the virus from multiplying its cells in the person’s system. However, further research is needed before we draw conclusions, especially on the issue of cultural beliefs towards the virus. The conclusions were complemented by specific recommendations.<br>Dr. E. Oliphant
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Shabangu, Thoko Margaret. "Ucwaningo olunzulu ngesiko lemvelo lokunakekelwa kokukhulelwa nokubeletha = A critical analysis of indigenous knowledge systems related to pregnancy care (antenatal) and infant delivery." Thesis, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/263.
Full textAbstract:
Submitted in partial fullfilment for the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of IsiZulu namaGugu in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, 1999.<br>This research work is an effort to scrutinize the custom of cultural
preparations for pregnancy, following the procedures and African traditions
because culture is the backbone of human life and the most important factor
in human development. In this thesis, explanations are also given for the
infertility of young brides and what is done traditionally to solve such
problems.
Problems of complications during the gestation period which result in
miscarriages are analyzed as well as procedures which must be undertaken
after a miscarriage in order to prevent a recurrence thereof, by following
African methods.
What encouraged the researcher was to bring to the awareness of the Black
Nation the need to look back to their ancestors' customs which they lived
before the advent of hospitals and clinics. It has to dawn their minds that the
numerous health problems which they encounter these days and which white
doctors fail to cure, can be controlled if they stick to their customs. Some of
these problems is failure of women to conceive when they are already
married as well as miscarriages. Most of these problems emanate from the
fact that the majority have lost their traditional practices and have stuck to
those of nations belonging to the Western culture. Therefore, the knowledge
which is gathered in this research emphasizes the gist of the research which
says: "The science of the Blacks, of using traditional herbs and of
communicating with their ancestors in order to get help, worked for the great
grandparents, is stiff working nowadays, and it will continue to work effectively
for the next generations as long as they practice it.
The first chapter indicates the objectives and the incentives which inspired the
researcher to research this topic, following the processes of the African
culture after experiencing the pain suffered by African women who lose their
marriages because of not bearing children, as well as suffering miscarriages
which is caused by neglecting or looking down upon their customs, or
because of not believing in them or ignorance about them. The predecessors
who have researched and written something on this topic are also highlighted
in this chapter.
The second chapter focuses on the research which has been done on African
rituals which should be done for men and women when they reach puberty
which have an impact on their fertility when they have or have not been
observed. Other customs are performed when the girl has been engaged,
prior to her wedding day and they are carried on when she leaves her home
right up to when she gets to the groom's place on the wedding day. This
encourages both the maternal and paternal ancestors to co-operate between
themselves in providing the married couples with children and overall wellbeing
in their married life.
In the same chapter there is a discussion of traditional preparations for
enabling the bride to fall pregnant after marriage when she encounters
problems of not conceiving even when customary precautions have been
practiced.
The third chapter focuses on emphasizing the causes of failure to conceive in
the bride and what should be done, using traditional methods so as to
overcome these problems. Different types of diseases that lead to barrenness
or infertility, ancestral spirits, African traditions Which have been neglected,
different ways of witchcraft as well as different types of snakes of love potions
which eventually destroy the blood clots where from the feotus develop have
been highlighted.
The fourth chapter focuses on revealing the causes of miscarriages and
resolutions thereof the African way. Close scrutiny is given to the different
ways of sorcery which lead to miscarriages, dreams of man-made bad spirits
and those of the deceased, and infectious and non-infectious diseases which
may have a detrimental effect on the unborn baby. Focus has also been
placed on the importance of cleansing the woman who has had a miscarriage,
being cleansed from bad luck using the stomach contents of a goat. What
happens to a man who gets intimate with an unpleased woman is also
clarified in this research work.
The fifth chapter is an analysis where the research is being analyzed. There
are also recommendations which can be followed to open the eyes of the
community so as to get their problems solved. These recommendations
encourage especially Black people to stick to their customs which is a way of
keeping traditional rituals or practices as well as their traditional religion so
that even if they follow the Western culture but they should not do away with
the science of their black ancestors.
47
Bongela, K. S. 1936. "Isihlonipho among Amaxhosa." Thesis, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/948.
Full textAbstract:
Isihlonipho among amaXhosa is a study based on the indigenous culture of amaXhosa, a vibrant nation forming a black section of the South African population. In order to capture those interesting aspects embraced within the theme of this study, the researcher has deemed it proper and appropriate to focus his attention largely on the cultural practices of these people citing various stages of their cultural development. Although some of the most important cultural activities such as religion, ancestor worship, totems and others have been highlighted together with the statuses of certain personalities, places and family units, nevertheless, the emphasis is on hlonipha
language associated with cultural practices such as, inter alia, ulwaiuko (circumcision) and traditional marriage. It is also placed on the language of respect associated with the veneration of aspects such as the weather, animals, rivers, graves, inkundla and
many others. Of grave concern to the researcher is the fact that arrival of western civilisation, the spread of Christianity and the miscegenation of Black and White races have been
instrumental in eroding hlonipha practices and hlonipha language which has remained the pillar of the amaXhosa culture for centuries.
In view of the historical and political changes which have significantly affected the validity of these cultural practices, this thesis is inclined to support the spirit of renaissance which seeks to recoup those aspects ofthe past which our posterity needs for its cultural existence<br>African Languages<br>D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)
48
Ntombela, Bongani. "Conformity: visual reflection on the social and cultural life of Nguni women." Diss., 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/19793.
Full textAbstract:
Text in English<br>This study is a reflection on the culture and social life of Nguni women. The research is the interpretation and representation of how the Nguni culture and social values emerge as source of identity not a simple act of conformity. The manifestation of cultural values is presented through a body of artworks. The artworks seek to expose the complex nature of deep social bonds. These bonds are responsible for the creation of the ultimate value of aesthetic experience within a social and ethical context. The analysis addresses the significance and symbolic nature of traditional wedding rituals in relation to conformity and social identity. Various concepts and themes are discussed to ascertain how participating in these social and cultural performances helps individuals to pursue their own understanding and meaning of their experience within their lived environment.
The main question this study addresses is how women make sense of their experience as mothers, wives, members of society and individuals. It is the study of cultural and social phenomena; their nature and meanings, and the focus is on the interpretation of the phenomena in terms of their individual experiences and how they relate lived experience to their identities. This is done by acknowledging the essence of meaningful nature of experiences that lead participating individuals into conformity and submission.
Sculptural installation and performance are used to describe concepts in the production of visual presentation of this research. The visual installation in this research provides the symbolic meaning of nature of aesthetic experience which influences individual to connect with the society and thus creating impression of conformity. The reflection on cultural and social experience highlights the dilemma of containing conformity to an act of coercion while leaving the issue of human perception and understanding of value in relation to the experience of the body unattended. A phenomenological approach to this study has helped to address art installation as a stylistic phenomenon that is created and experienced visually in order to represents a relationship between artist and society.<br>Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology<br>M.A. (Visual Arts)
49
Rathete, Matome Bethuel. "The reality and relevance of seriti in the past and present: its essence and manifestation in an African religion perspective with special reference to the Northern Sotho." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1672.
Full textAbstract:
The thesis has to do with seriti in its tripartite manifestation that the researcher calls category A, B and C. Category A deals with oratory, wisdom, hospitality, kindness and generosity in the Northern Sotho's everyday interaction with other people. It also deals with ritual as part of strengthening the character of an individual. Category B deals with a human being in his/her interactions with ancestors who in turn end up conferring seriti upon him/her. Category C is the type of seriti that is almost antithetical to category A seriti. This type of seriti could be enhanced with the sole purpose of harming others or seeking unfair advantage over other people.
Of the three types of seriti, the researcher argues that category C seriti is waning. In the case of category B, there is a rejection of traditional healers (who perform rituals which are required by ancestors), as well as other elements like protecting oneself with strong medicine which has to do with category C. This therefore means that category B is not rejected in totality. The chapter that deals with women and seriti takes into account the development of seriti from the past and present. Both the traditional concept of a woman and the modern one are accepted by all respondents. The idea of a woman working like a slave to please everyone is not gaining popularity.
The traditional concept of a man is that he is a polygamist and a lover of many concubines. He produces many children who make up for the loss through warfare. A traditional man works in a group context and loves to possess many cattle. These traits are rejected by modern people who in turn think that a man with seriti works for his family, he is loved and respected, he loves his wife and believes in equality. The thesis proves that certain characteristics of category B and C are waning while category A seriti is getting popular. The fact that this is the case is encouraging for the development of an African Philosophy and Religion.<br>Religious Studies and Arabic<br>D. Litt. et Phil (Religious Studies)
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Dube, Mbusiseni Celimpilo. "The tourism potential of Zululand north of the Tugela River with special reference to Zulu culture and history." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/757.
Full textAbstract:
Submitted in fullfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in the Department of History, University of Zululand, 2011.<br>This thesis highlights historical sites with tourism potential between the Tugela and Lower Umfolozi Rivers up to Kosi Bay and the Mozambique border. This is roughly the area administered by the Uthungulu Regional Council today. These historical sites are monitored and administered by two most important acts i.e. the National Heritage Resources Act No. 25 of 1999 and the KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Act No. 10 of 1997. This research project comprises four chapters. It examines factors related to pre-colonial Zulu culture and focuses on how these factors could attract tourists. Furthermore it deals with historical places rich in tourism potential, showing how these historical places can attract the tourists.
Chapter one addresses Zulu history from the earliest times to the present and the important aspects shaping current Zulu culture. Chapter two deals with traditional ceremonies which are part of African culture. Chapter three deals with sites of archaeological and historical interest. It further identifies and describes specific areas that are rich in Zulu history. The fourth chapter examines the Maputaland area and the St. Lucia Node and surroundings. The purpose is to explore the tourism potential of each heritage site and or region. Zulu customs that have the potential to become tourist attractions are identified and discussed prior to conclusions, which are drawn in the last chapter.