Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Exploring community and enacted stigma among South African bisexual women of colour
Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2025.
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Pretoria
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1869483727912960000 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Matamela, Nyambeni |
| author_browse | Matamela, Nyambeni |
| author_facet | Matamela, Nyambeni |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107921 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:03:36.249Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107921 Exploring community and enacted stigma among South African bisexual women of colour Matamela, Nyambeni u19142031@tuks.co.za Setlaba, Tlholohelo Tlhonolofatso UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Bisexuality Enacted stigma Intersectionality Perceived Community Stigma Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2025. Bisexual women of colour face unique and multi-layered forms of marginalisation owing to their intersectionality, both from queer and heterosexual spaces. This study explored the perceptions of Black South African bisexual women of community-held bisexual stigma and their experiences navigating enacted stigma. A qualitative, phenomenological design was adopted to uncover meaningful, subjective accounts from eight participants recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Analysis revealed three group experiential themes: (1) denied autonomy in romantic and sociocultural contexts; (2) strategic identity management in self-preservation; and (3) resilience through community, language, and self-affirmation. Participants reported bisexual invalidation, hypersexualisation, and conditional acceptance from both heterosexual men and lesbian women. Cultural and religious expectations contributed to the bisexual erasure and emotional distress of participants. In response, many cultivated resilience through affirming bi-specific queer communities, boundary-setting and self-affirming language. These strategies were rooted in self-preservation and aimed at resisting the psychological toll of persistent bisexual stigma. Findings highlight the need for bi-inclusive sex education, queer-affirming clinical practices, and intersectional frameworks to improve understanding of the compounded marginalisation experienced by bisexual women. The study also draws attention to bisexual erasure in academic literature and public policy. While limited by its sample size and lack of racial diversity beyond Black participants, the study provides insights into the resilience and identity negotiation of Black bisexual women in a heteronormative and queerphobic South African context. Psychology MA Clinical Psychology Restricted Faculty of Humanities SDG-05: Gender equality SDG-10: Reduces inequalities SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions 2026-02-06T08:28:30Z 2026-02-06T08:28:30Z 2026 2025 Mini Dissertation * May 2026 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107921 https://doi.org?10.25403/UPresearchdata.31266802 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Bisexuality Enacted stigma Intersectionality Perceived Community Stigma Exploring community and enacted stigma among South African bisexual women of colour |
| title | Exploring community and enacted stigma among South African bisexual women of colour |
| title_full | Exploring community and enacted stigma among South African bisexual women of colour |
| title_fullStr | Exploring community and enacted stigma among South African bisexual women of colour |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring community and enacted stigma among South African bisexual women of colour |
| title_short | Exploring community and enacted stigma among South African bisexual women of colour |
| title_sort | exploring community and enacted stigma among south african bisexual women of colour |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Bisexuality Enacted stigma Intersectionality Perceived Community Stigma |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107921 https://doi.org?10.25403/UPresearchdata.31266802 |