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Ulwaluko and Masculinity: Understanding the Social Construction of Manhood Among Xhosa Men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613785019121664 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Fuzani, Mzwandile |
| author2 | Lesch, Anthea M. |
| author_browse | Fuzani, Mzwandile Lesch, Anthea M. |
| author_facet | Lesch, Anthea M. Fuzani, Mzwandile |
| author_sort | Fuzani, Mzwandile |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135997 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:39.515Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135997 Ulwaluko and Masculinity: Understanding the Social Construction of Manhood Among Xhosa Men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa Fuzani, Mzwandile Lesch, Anthea M. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Fuzani, M. 2026. Ulwaluko and Masculinity: Understanding the Social Construction of Manhood Among Xhosa Men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/235e038a-3679-48d4-80c0-de883bf46935 In Xhosa society, ulwaluko, the traditional male initiation ritual, remains a powerful institution through which masculinity, morality, and personhood are constructed and transmitted. While previous studies have examined ulwaluko mainly from medical or anthropological perspectives, limited attention has been paid to how Xhosa men themselves make meaning of this practice within contemporary contexts shaped by education, religion, law, and modernity. This study aims to contribute to filling this gap by exploring how Xhosa men construct, negotiate, and enact masculinity through ulwaluko in Mlahleni1 village, Eastern Cape, South Africa. This qualitative, exploratory study was guided by a social constructivist framework (Vygotsky, 1978) and the African concept of personhood (Menkiti, 2004; Mfecane, 2018) while conceptually drawing on Connell’s theory of masculinities (Connell, 1995). The study sought to understand how ulwaluko informs moral identity, communal belonging, and male responsibility. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group involving nine participants, initiates, amakrwala, community elders and key informants. Interviews were conducted in isiXhosa, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim in isiXhosa, and later translated into English for analytic purposes. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted manually, following Braun and Clarke’s (2022) approach to identifying, analysing, and interpreting patterns of meaning within the data. Ethical clearance was granted by the Stellenbosch University Research Ethics Committee. Eight key themes emerged from the analysis. (1) Cultural Obligation, Lineage, and Moral Duty revealed that ulwaluko is understood as a sacred moral responsibility affirming ancestral belonging and readiness for adulthood. (2) Fear and Faith: The Moral Economy of Risk demonstrated that fear and faith coexist as moral regulators, cultivating humility, courage, and accountability. (3) Embodied Experiences of Pain, Discipline, and Coping showed that endurance, silence, and composure are equated with strength and moral maturity. (4) Reintegration, Responsibility, and Moral Transformation reflected how post-initiation life tests one’s ethical conduct, respect, and responsibility. (5) Brotherhood, Belonging, and Communal Masculinity highlighted the importance of solidarity, mentorship, and moral guidance within collective manhood. (6) Changing Constructions of Masculinity: Modernisation, Risk, and Responsibility captured the tensions between traditional ideals and contemporary social realities shaped by education, economics, and law. (7) Secrecy, Silence, and the Politics of Masculine Knowledge illustrated how silence sustains masculine authority and insider legitimacy, while (8) Inclusivity and Plural Masculinities revealed emerging spaces for alternative masculinities, including queer identities, that challenge hegemonic norms. The findings show that ulwaluko functions both as a moral school and as a social contract that defines manhood through discipline, respect, and service to others. However, the ritual also reflects ongoing negotiations between tradition and modernity, revealing how cultural continuity coexists with adaptation and contestation. This study contributes to critical masculinity scholarship by advancing an African-centred interpretation of manhood that integrates moral, communal, and spiritual dimensions. It underscores ulwaluko as a living pedagogy through which Xhosa men continually reconstruct identity, belonging, and responsibility in a changing society. Masters 2026-04-17T09:18:43Z 2026-04-17T09:18:43Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135997 en Stellenbosch University 174 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Fuzani, Mzwandile Ulwaluko and Masculinity: Understanding the Social Construction of Manhood Among Xhosa Men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| title | Ulwaluko and Masculinity: Understanding the Social Construction of Manhood Among Xhosa Men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| title_full | Ulwaluko and Masculinity: Understanding the Social Construction of Manhood Among Xhosa Men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Ulwaluko and Masculinity: Understanding the Social Construction of Manhood Among Xhosa Men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ulwaluko and Masculinity: Understanding the Social Construction of Manhood Among Xhosa Men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| title_short | Ulwaluko and Masculinity: Understanding the Social Construction of Manhood Among Xhosa Men in the Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| title_sort | ulwaluko and masculinity understanding the social construction of manhood among xhosa men in the eastern cape south africa |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135997 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fuzanimzwandile ulwalukoandmasculinityunderstandingthesocialconstructionofmanhoodamongxhosamenintheeasterncapesouthafrica |