African male voices: representation of women images in selected isiZulu literary texts; reality or idealism?

In this thesis, the research focused on representation of women images in the selected isiZulu literary texts. From the late 1940’s up to 1994 South Africans struggled under the apartheid regime. During this period of time Black women were doubly oppressed by their patriarchal and traditional cultures as well as by the apartheid system of government. With the change of government in 1994, a new era in the history of South Africa was ushered in. The underlying foundations of the new constitution were democratic values of gender equality, non- racial, non sexist society. It is against this backdrop that the thesis focused on exploring the effects and or impact of perceptions about women within a changing and transforming society in Africa in general and South Africa specifically. The isiZulu texts selected that were analysed are works of transitional period partly because they were published during the time of political and social transformation. Whilst other texts that were analysed were published during the post-independence period. The rational behind this was to give a broader spectrum that reflects the reality; as well as to establish whether the socio- political transformation has had an impact on how male authors represent women in isiZulu literary texts. Literary feminist philosophy was employed to highlight whether their depiction is real or idealized. The study concluded that gender inequality was still prevalent in the depiction of women images in selected isiZulu literary texts authored by males. There was no transformation that had been made by male authors in their portrayal of women characters to reflect the current political and social order

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Zululand

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Mzoneli-Makhwaza, Irene Nini

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Zondi, N.B

• women --representation --literary works --Zulu

Licence

• https://devspace.unizulu.ac.za/bitstreams/fbd5f8e4-0906-4db4-bdfa-07a21e87ade8/download