Polygyny and Gender : The Gendered Narratives of Adults Raised in Polygynous Families / Zamambo V. Mkhize.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mkhize, Zamambo V., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Polygyny--South Africa--KwaZulu-Natal.

Polygyny.

Zulu (African people).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (230 pages) illustrations, maps

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa : University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, [2021]

Summary:

African perspectives on concepts such as gender, feminism and the family are vastly different from their Western counterparts. Similarly, mechanisms of socialisation such as religion, capitalism and the law require context-specific application to the notion of polygyny. This book interrogates the construction of gender identity in adults raised in Zulu polygynous families in the Hammarsdale area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It highlights the complexities of gender identities as participants negotiate between modern, constitutional, individual freedoms and patriarchal, cultural, communal customs and traditions. The themes also point to the contestation between individuality and collectivism in the construction of gender identity within polygynous families in Zulu culture. The South African Constitution guarantees gender equality and individual rights and freedoms for its citizens, yet customary law practices, such as polygyny, appear to contravene these principles. The participants reveal that although women and men experience different influences, they cite similar prevalent factors that have a bearing on their gender identity construction, namely, gender role socialisation, naming practices and the principle of seniority

Contents:

Front Cover

Title Page

Half Title

Copyright

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. Theoretical Perspectives on Polygyny and Gender

2. Gender Role Socialisation and Gender Identity

3. Naming and the Construction of Gender Identity

4. Family Relations and Their Impact on Gender Identity

5. Negotiating Customary Law and Constitutional Rights

6. Economic Resources and Power Relations within the Family

7. The Impact of Religion on the Polygynous Family and Identity Formation

8. Emotional Relations and the Construction of Gendered Identity

Conclusion

Select Bibliography

Index

Back Cover.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

OCLC:

1305842533