Browsing by Subject "Sex role"

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    Gender constraints to increased agricultural production faced by rural women in KwaZulu
    (1990) Murphy, Carol (Carol Anne), 1961-; Cook, Gillian; Fincham, R J
    It is well known that women are constrained by their gender role, which is imposed on them by the gender relations they experience. This role allocates them the direct responsibility for maintenance of the household and subjects them to patriarchal relations of male domination and female subordination. There is little understanding, however, of how gender-specific constraints operate. This study records the gender-specific constraints affecting the lives of black, rural women in a homeland in South Africa (KwaZulu). An analysis is given of the extent to which these gender-specific constraints affect the agricultural productivity of these women. An integrated methodology, combining elements of qualitative observations, key-informant interviews and quantitative surveys was used to identify gender-based constraints to agricultural production experienced by rural women in the study area (the Nhlangwini Ward, Umzumbe District, southern KwaZulu). This information revealed that the lives of women in the Nhlangwini Ward are severely affected by gender-specific constraints that arise out of: their involvement in various activities that constitute their multiple work role (survival tasks, household tasks and different resources (land, income generation); their access to capital and training) and their perception of their gender role and the patriarchal relations they experience. Women in the ward adapt to these constraints by: using child labour and hired labour to assist them in conducting survival tasks and household tasks; allocating some shopping (for clothes) to male household members who have greater access to urban centres; membership of community gardens to gain access to arable land and agricultural expertise; hiring private arable land for farming and adopting poultry farming as a favoured agricultural activity. Recommendations are made for types of projects and policy changes that could work to overcome these constraints and the broader subordination of women in rural areas. As gender and rural development is a pioneering research field in South Africa, more research of this type is urgently required because at present the development process takes little cognisance of gender issues.
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    Sexual stereotyping and role transition in the family
    (1988) Alberts, Anne-Louise; Theron, Francois
    The family in Western society is increasingly perceived as threatened by a myriad of socio-cultural changes, and statistics suggest that family breakdown is cause for major concern to clinical practitioners working with families. This study attempts to examine the issue of female role transition within the family with a view to understanding the dynamics of conflict and breakdown which are generated by departure from the female role stereotype. A cross-disciplinary review of the literature has sought to place the discussion of case-study material within a broad psycho-social context. The emphasis throughout is on the interplay between the complex macro variables and the intra-psychic functioning of individual clients. Five case histories are used to identify the etiological and diagnostic features which interact within the family as a sub-system. Concluding discussion offers a psychodynamic interpretation of the case material.