Browsing by Subject "Intersectionality"

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    Dismantling doubt: a study on impostor phenomenon among women academics in South Africa
    (2025) Ojetimi, Ribhat; Meyer, Tamlynne
    Impostor phenomenon is a psychological phenomenon manifested through feelings of self-doubt about intellectual competence, skills, and accomplishments despite evident success among individuals. This results in a constant fear of being exposed as a fraud, hindering their confidence and prospects for professional advancement. Transformation initiatives in South African higher education institutions aimed at increasing the representation of women and black people have seen a notable shift in the demographics of the profession. However, this shift has also coincided with rising levels of impostorism among these groups, highlighting the complex interplay between societal changes and individual experiences within academic spaces. Existing research has predominantly examined the impostor phenomenon from individualistic and psychological perspectives. However, a notable gap remains in understanding the sociological factors influencing the impostor phenomenon. The researcher argues that history, context, and culture are key in understanding the manifestation of impostorism among women and blacks in the academic profession of South Africa. This study contributes to this lacuna by conducting a sociological exploration of the impostor phenomenon among women academics at the University of Cape Town. In-depth qualitative interviews with women academics, underpinned by feminist intersectionality and socio-cultural and organisational cultural framing, illuminate the interplay of societal structures and organisational cultures in shaping experiences of impostor phenomenon. This not only provides a more complex and nuanced understanding of the phenomenon but also sheds light on the continued existence of inequality and marginalisation in the academic profession.
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    Open Access
    Does one size fit all? exploring the effect of hearing aid impulse noise reduction on isiXhosa click sounds: a pilot study
    (2025) Stephan, Heinrich Rudolph; Petersen, Lucretia; Hlayisi, Vera-Genevey
    Gender diversity remains a significant challenge in the Information Technology (IT) industry, particularly in South Africa, where the workforce composition does not reflect the nation's demographic diversity. This disparity results in the underrepresentation of women despite policies aimed at fostering inclusion. Existing research highlights a decline in women's participation in the IT sector but often overlooks the perceptions and treatment of women within IT workplaces. This study investigates women's experiences working in Agile project environments in South African IT companies. Agile is a popular software development methodology emphasizing collaboration, communication, and collective decision-making. Using intersectionality theory, this cross-sectional study examines how gender and background factors affect women's work performance. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with twenty-five women IT professionals recruited via snowball sampling. Key findings indicate that gender discrimination persists in Agile environments. The study revealed that South African women in Agile project environments exist within a male- dominated, Gendered Organisational Culture, which privileges behaviours and actions that benefit men. Women in these environments often experience feelings of inadequacy due to their minority status in predominantly male teams. Other specific persistent issues emerged such as gendered recognition bias, gender pay gap, job insecurity, lack of support for motherhood, work-life balance, and scarcity of women mentors. The study further reveals that the high attrition rate of women in IT is not due to the technical demands of the roles but rather the negative impact of organisational culture and gender bias on their professional development. The study's limitations include its reliance on a small, non-random sample, which may not fully represent the broader population. Additionally, the focus on Agile environments may limit the generalizability of the findings to other IT settings. Future research should explore the intersection of gender with other factors, such as socioeconomic status and motherhood, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the barriers women face in IT. It should also investigate strategies to create more inclusive and supportive workplace cultures.
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    Open Access
    Luxury Tourism in South Africa: navigating opportunities and barriers to address sustainability challenges
    (2025) Chasenski, Daniella; Surmeier, Annika; Zolfaghari, Badri
    The global luxury tourism industry is increasingly challenged to balance growth and sustainability, particularly in developing regions such as South Africa. This study explores the opportunities and challenges faced by luxury tourism businesses in integrating sustainability into their operations. Focusing on three luxury game lodges in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, this research analyses how these businesses navigate the tensions between environmental conservation, socio-cultural impact, and economic viability. Key research questions include: How do they navigate sustainability challenges within their unique contexts? What are they currently doing, and what more can they do? How can luxury tourism businesses improve their sustainability practices? This study adopts an exploratory, qualitative research approach, using a multiple-case study design. Data was collected through nine semi-structured interviews with heads of environment and sustainability, lodge managers and game rangers, alongside document analysis, to examine sustainability strategies and their implementation across the selected lodges. Findings reveal that while lodges have implemented sustainability initiatives, they continue to face systemic barriers such as guest expectations, financial constraints, infrastructure limitations, and reliance on international tourism. However, innovative solutions, including community-driven conservation, local economic integration, and sustainable business models, demonstrate how luxury and sustainability can coexist. This research contributes empirical insight to a limited body of literature on sustainability in South African luxury tourism. It provides practical recommendations for industry stakeholders and policymakers, such as addressing neocolonial ownership structures, developing standardised impact assessment models, aligning sustainability with guest expectations, and leveraging public-private partnerships to scale green technologies. Future research should adopt a mixed-methods approach to quantify long-term sustainability impacts, guest perceptions, and policy effectiveness, strengthening the evidence base for a more equitable and resilient luxury tourism sector.