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Who helps women cope? : women's agency in households, families and communities
Includes bibliographical references.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
2015
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| _version_ | 1867613657372819456 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Nomdo, Christina |
| author2 | Oldfield, Sophie |
| author_browse | Nomdo, Christina Oldfield, Sophie |
| author_facet | Oldfield, Sophie Nomdo, Christina |
| author_sort | Nomdo, Christina |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliographical references. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/12782 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:39:38.006Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| publisherStr | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/12782 Who helps women cope? : women's agency in households, families and communities Nomdo, Christina Oldfield, Sophie Environmental, Society and Sustainability Includes bibliographical references. Women’s experiences of poverty in post-apartheid South Africa are made real in their struggles to access resources and assets to survive. They survive sudden shocks and entrenched poverty by constructing and drawing on social support networks that provide access to adequate housing, secure tenure and sufficient income to sustain households. The social support networks of households, families and communities are investigated in the adjacent but diverse townships of Manenberg and Guguletu - resettlement areas for those who were forcibly removed from the city centre of Cape Town. Theoretical perspectives on: the South African context of support; reciprocity; social networks; and the morality inherent in networks, fail to provide information of the complexities and nuances in the lives of the women. Women are required to negotiate gender roles and position in every relationship in order to be eligible for support. Discourses on how the South African city shaped reciprocity and gender identity within households and families provide insight into the context in which support is negotiated. Drawing on these sets of literature an analysis of life histories (constructed from a semi-structured, open ended questionnaire) is conducted of fifteen women from each township that document their struggles, frustrations, joys and aspirations. The evidence from the case studies suggests that women's experiences of poverty are actualised in their marginalisation from adequate housing, secure tenure and sustainable livelihoods. Moreover, the mechanisms they employ to bridge these challenges, their support networks, further entrenches gender inequalities and the inferior position of women in society. A detailed analysis of their relationships reveals that in order to access support women sublimate their challenges of traditional gender identities in order conform to normative behaviour and access resources and assets required for survival. A comparison of the configuration, utilisation and value of strategic relationships within women's households, families and communities demonstrates their agency. The women interact with their context, making strategic decisions and choices that influence not only the social fabric of their communities but also their own identity. 2015-05-13T14:11:49Z 2015-05-13T14:11:49Z 2005 Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12782 eng application/pdf Department of Environmental and Geographical Science Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Environmental, Society and Sustainability Nomdo, Christina Who helps women cope? : women's agency in households, families and communities |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Who helps women cope? : women's agency in households, families and communities |
| title_full | Who helps women cope? : women's agency in households, families and communities |
| title_fullStr | Who helps women cope? : women's agency in households, families and communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Who helps women cope? : women's agency in households, families and communities |
| title_short | Who helps women cope? : women's agency in households, families and communities |
| title_sort | who helps women cope women s agency in households families and communities |
| topic | Environmental, Society and Sustainability |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12782 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nomdochristina whohelpswomencopewomensagencyinhouseholdsfamiliesandcommunities |