Browsing by Author "Farista, Feranaaz"

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    Breastfeeding as foodwork in the workplace among black, low-income women in South Africa
    (2022) Farista, Feranaaz; Jaga, Ameeta
    Return to work is cited as a key reason for women ceasing breastfeeding due to the conflict between the labour of bodywork required for jobs, and breastfeeding as a labour of foodwork. Through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 33 black low-income mothers in Cape Town, South Africa, this study gives meaning to the labour of foodwork that these mothers perform. The data were analysed through an intersectional analytic lens to understand how race, class, and gender shape foodwork experiences. The study findings underscored the struggles, exacerbated by financial constraints, that low-income women endured balancing the demands of being a good mother and a good worker. Four key themes emerged that illustrate the compromised ability to enact foodwork: (1) foodwork experiences and precarity in the workplace, (2) structural inequalities and foodwork, (3) gender norms and social class: shaping child care and foodwork and, (4) local knowledges and foodwork. With these findings, recommendations for improving workplace support for low-income mothers foodwork activities are presented.
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    It s kind of expected that the woman does everything : Exploring the anticipated work-family conflict perceptions and attitudes of South African Hindu women
    (2024) Garach, Darshana; Farista, Feranaaz
    Anticipated work-family conflict (AWFC) is an emerging phenomenon, increasingly experienced among young women. Hindu women, in particular, anticipate forms of workfamily conflict as they tend to follow traditional gender roles pre-determined in their culture, such as the role of being the primary caregiver. Hence, many Hindu women may compromise work responsibilities for family and caring responsibilities. Young Hindu women often grapple with the pervasive influence of gender roles, stereotypes, and career expectations, which may lead to potential AWFC. Through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with ten young Hindu women in South Africa, this study provides insight into their perceptions and attitudes toward AWFC. Thematic analysis was utilised to examine the data, delving into the participant's insights and perspectives to gain a comprehensive understanding of their lived experiences. The study findings highlighted the dilemmas these Hindu women were exposed to, as well as the coping strategies they relied on to resolve work-family interface challenges. Three key themes emerged that illustrated their lived reality: (1) Navigating work-family interface dilemmas: Perspectives of Hindu women, (2) Coping mechanisms: Strategies for addressing anticipated work-family challenges among Hindu women, and (3) Hindu women seeking community and support: Navigating the work-family interface. Through these findings, recommendations for improving workplace support for young Hindu women are presented.
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    Voices from the margins: amplifying the workplace realities of black child-free women in South Africa
    (2025) Acheampong, Nadine Borkor; Farista, Feranaaz
    The rising number of individuals identifying as child-free has sparked a growing interest in understanding this demographic's unique challenges and opportunities. Despite progress in South Africa's equality legislation, child-free black women remain marginalised, frequently confronting stereotypes and assumptions that challenge both their personal and professional identities. This study explores these specific dynamics through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 22 child-free black women in South Africa, exploring how ‘race', ‘gender', and ‘child-free' status intersect to shape their workplace experiences. All women were formally employed and resided in South Africa, identifying as black, and between the ages of 24 – 38, with at least two years of full-time working experience. Through an intersectional lens and the application of role theory, this paper provides a nuanced perspective on how child-free individuals navigate and negotiate their roles and identities. Thematic analysis was employed to explore the data, delving into participant's insights and perspectives to gain a thorough understanding of their lived realities. The study's findings revealed the opportunities and challenges faced by child-free black women in their workplace. Three key themes emerged that reflected child-free black women's lived experiences in the South African workplace: (1) The availability paradox: navigating time and identity in child-free lives, (2) Redefining family at work: child-free identities within organisational norms, (3) Unseen needs: fostering inclusive spaces for child-free workers. Through these findings, recommendations for improving workplace support for child-free black women are presented.