Faculty of Management Sciences
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Item The impact of the fear of crime on women’s quest for economic opportunities in Inanda Newtown A(2023-04) Ncwane, Zanele; Harris, Geoffrey ThomasFear of crime has negative effects on people’s lives, impacting on their ability to participate in activities important to their wellbeing. This study, which was conducted in Inanda Newtown, Durban, South Africa, to investigate first how fear of crime impacts women’s ability to participate meaningfully in economic activities and, secondly, what strategies women use to navigate safety everyday while attempting to pursue a better life. This was a qualitative case study of twelve women of different ages and education levels, and from varied occupations. Data was collected through individual interviews and focus group discussions, and a thematic analysis was used to interpret and analyse the data into the central findings. These findings were that there is ample evidence of the damaging impacts that these women experience as a result of their fear of crime. They are engulfed with feelings of powerlessness, vulnerability and entrapment within a circle of poverty, exposure to gender-based violence and precarious employment. They also suffer specific financial costs that entrench gender inequality. These impacts deny these women the rights guaranteed in the South African Constitution. The study found that participants have developed a range of strategies to preserve their safety while working towards their economic goals. These strategies include paying men to protect them on their journeys home, using ride hailing apps for greater protection, renting out businesses rather than running them, self-surveillance and avoidance. A strategy that they found most difficult to speak of was their recourse to transactional sex, a strategy that involved both a form of restricted agency and acknowledgement of vulnerability. While the research design did not aim to encompass action research, the study began to develop a sense of commonality amongst the group. This led into an intervention when one participant was exploited by local taxi owners. With the support of the whole group, a response was developed that led to a successful confrontation by the researcher and two participants with the taxi association. This was a demonstration of concerted action that challenged negativity and emboldened some to find more hopeful strategies. An implication of this study is the need to understand how the impacts of violence are amplified through fear of crime, in particular for women. This should inform policy and implementation at different levels.Item Gender discrimination and coping mechanisms of black female managers in rural secondary schools(2023-08) Zuma, Nikiwe; Hamlall, VijayThis study investigated gender discrimination and coping mechanisms of black female managers in four rural secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa using a case study. The overall aim of this study was to identify the extent of gender discrimination toward black female managers and to explore the gender order and gender regime that existed within the four schooling environments. This study also sought to explore the coping mechanisms that black female managers employed in the day-to-day execution of their duties and the effects that their experiences of gender discrimination had on their personal and professional lives. Men play an active role in shaping women’s identities and controlling their behaviour. It is important to understand how men negotiate their identity since they are active players in the construction of female identities. For this reason, this study incorporated both female and male voices since they both construct gender. Observations, face-to-face and focus group interviews with the school principals, deputy principals, departmental heads, educators and school governing body members were used to collect data. The findings revealed that the male educators subjected female managers to stereotyping, in the sense that they placed them in nurturing, submissive roles, whilst they viewed themselves as being more dominant and assertive. The male educators executed duties that were associated with power and status, while the female educators were tasked with lower status duties. The cultural acceptance of Zulu male dominance seemed to be entrenched in all four school environments. The study also found that female managers were subjected to explicit gender based violence by male educators. The male educators displayed violent attitudes and behaviours toward female managers in an array of ways when they faced humiliation or felt that their manhood was threatened. The female managers were also subjected to sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and verbal and physical maltreatment of a sexual nature. The female managers used solidarity, empowerment and assertiveness to cope with stereotyping. They drew on their maternal instincts and mechanisms of acceptance to cope with the sexual division of labour. They adopted the customary behaviour of respect (ukuhlonipha) to cope with discrimination relating to traditional beliefs. The coping mechanisms they used to deal with physical abuse and sexual harassment were acceptance, resignation and deeming this type of behaviour as common in all institutions. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher proposes that to combat gender discrimination against female educators; it is important for members of the community to be sensitised about the crucial role that female educators play in education. This will help parents, as governors of the school, to work in harmony with female school managers, without discrimination along gender lines, towards effective teaching and learning. The female educators in turn should also become actively involved in community activities to demonstrate their commitment, abilities and competence in leadership and management to all stakeholders and the broader community. There is a necessity to review unfair gender cultural practices and their dynamics to ensure that women are not disadvantaged in the workplace. However, it is also important to recognise that not all men or women are the same. While this study found that mainly male educators were the orchestrators of gender-based discrimination and violence, masculinity and femininity should not be seen as polar ends of a spectrum. It is necessary for gender identity to be formed in the dialogue between men and women. Interventions need to involve men and women to change attitudes and behaviours that would significantly decrease gender-based discrimination and incidents of gender-based violence.