A sociological analysis of the involvement of men in campaigns against sexual violence towards women at Rhodes University: the aftermath of the #RUReference protest
- Authors: Roboji, Philasande Milisa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: #RUReferenceList , Rhodes University -- Students -- Attitudes , Rape in universities and colleges -- South Africa , Social movements -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Women college students -- Violence against -- South Africa , Male college students -- South Africa -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSci
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148059 , vital:38706
- Description: Gender-based violence more especially sexual violence towards women is one of the biggest social issus affecting South Africa including higher institutions of learning, universities in this context. In recent years, we have seen students in universities protesting sexual violence demanding universities to improve their ways of dealing with this violence. The motivation behind this thesis is the notion that sexual violence is a women’s issue and how most men in our communities and universities do not involve themselves in campaigns that are designed to end sexual violence towards women. There is an assumption that women should be the ones fighting against sexual violence because it affects them when in fact sexual violence affects everyone and more importantly, is mostly perpetuated by men. Therefore, the main purpose of this thesis was to sociologically analyze the involvement of men in campaigns against sexual violence towards women and the aftermath of the #RUReferenceList protest that took place at Rhodes University in 2016. This protest started immediately after a list of students who were said to be alleged sexual perpetrators was published online. Attached to this primary objective, the sub-goals that informed the entire study were to investigate how the involvement of men in the #RUReferenceList protest has contributed to challenging rape culture at Rhodes University. Also, to investigate if there are any ongoing campaigns and/or projects that includes men and that are still addressing the issue of sexual violence towards women. There is however, a dearth of research on the involvement of men in campaigns against sexual violence in South Africa. Therefore, it was difficult finding existing literature that touches on the involvement of men in campaigns against sexual violence towards women particularly in the context of universities. This thesis was conducted within the premises of Rhodes University through a qualitative research approach in a form of in-depth interviews. Five participants were selected through purposive sampling which included the Chair of the Gender Action Forum, one former student representative council member, a sub-warden from a male residence and two students. The findings of this research are not the full representation of the entire university but opinions and perspective of the participants that were interviewed. Their opinions and perspectives have a potential of contributing to the factors and reasons as to why majority of men have not engaged themselves in issues of gender-based violence or involved themselves in campaigns against sexual violence towards women.
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- Date Issued: 2020
A correlational analysis investigating relationships between gender role ideology and attitudes towards gender-based violence
- Authors: Krutani, Siposetu
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Women -- Violence against -- South Africa , Sex role -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa , Male domination (Social structure) -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Students -- Attitudes , Rape in universities and colleges -- South Africa , Social movements -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Women college students -- Violence against -- South Africa , Male college students -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Women college students -- Psychology -- South Africa , Male college students -- Psychology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96658 , vital:31305
- Description: This study forms part of a larger project investigating attitudes towards intimate partner violence, dating violence and other forms of gender-based violence with the Rhodes University context. The primary purpose was to establish a baseline descriptive understanding of participants‟ attitudes towards and perceptions of gender-based violence. With the aim to generate results that would somehow inform the larger project, the current study sought to investigate whether a relationship exists between gender-role ideology and attitudes towards gender-based violence amongst a university population which was inclusive of registered students and employees of the university (n = 308). Four samples were categorised: student sample, academic staff sample, administrative support staff sample and operational support staff sample. A once-off, cross sectional survey design was used to obtain the data. The results of the study revealed that the participants in the study uphold largely non-traditional gender-role ideologies, are generally intolerant of dating violence and are rejecting of rape myths. As predicted in the literature, the study revealed that demographics such as gender, religion, age, level of education, number of years spent in the institution, race, and student accommodation have an impact on the relationship between adherence to traditional gender-role ideology and tolerance towards dating violence, as well as on the relationship between adherence to traditional gender-role ideology and rape myth acceptance and the relationship between rape myth acceptance and tolerance towards dating violence. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on gender-based violence in institutions of higher learning and could help improve sexual violence prevention programmes in such contexts.
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- Date Issued: 2019