Women, society and constraints: A collection of contemporary South African gender studies

ISBN 1868881490

This book explores the impact of patriarchy on women in past and present societies, and it specifically addresses the tenacity of patriarchal systems of thinking and behaviour. While paying close attention to cultural diversity among women, it aims at stressing the usefulness of tracing common patterns. The reader will perhaps be surprised to discover that there are many similarities between the way in which women are represented in the accounts of ancient historians and the stereotypical perceptions of women in the modem world of advertising. Each in their own way, the authors expose and attack a long history of stereotyping of women, from the ancient world through to contemporary South Africa. The distant perspective enables us to recognize the artificiality of such male constructions in a detached and fruitful way. The chapters in this book show in clear outlines that it does matter who is writing the histories and that an awareness of male-centred views of history (in books or in the schools) is of essential importance in formulating a correct understanding of the past. The positive message is that women can develop strategies of resistance. This can range from the rewriting of (male authored) dramatic scripts to songs of protest which are owned by the entire female community rather than by a particular individual. This volume covers a wide spectrum of topics, including women in pagan and Christian Antiquity, the representation of women in literature and in advertising, the economic role of black women in rural South Africa, religious 'piety books' written by women enjoining submissiveness to male authority, the role of women in labour unions and in hospitals, and how women are achieving self-upliftment in the face of numerous obstacles. The diversity of topics provides eloquent testimony to what women's studies have to offer for the restrategising of gender roles in the new South Africa.

Contents

Introduction

Gender studies and transformation – J Malherbe           1

CONTESTING THE ANCIENT VOICES

Introduction – M Kleijwegt…...15

Whores and heroines: the portrayal of women in Graeco – Roman histories R J Evans…...18

 The constraints of Roman Marriage and divorce – M Kleijwegt…... 41

Mother right vs. patriarchy – G Weinberg………60

Reaction to patriarchal codes among emaSwati – S Dlamini……72

WOMEN AT WORK

Introduction – J Malherbe……87

Patriarchal constraints on trade union women – S Benjamin……92

Hospitals, paternalism and health care in south Africa- V Ehlers……104

Patriarchal practices and their effects in black societies, and the role of women teachers in empowering illiterate women P Mabunda and M Lephalala……120

Survival strategies of rural women – M Rulumeni-Ntlombeni……132

CHURCH AND GENDER

Introduction -   M Kleijwegt……143

Women leaders in the early Church – H Cairns ……145

Charlotte Manye Maxeke: Agent for change – J Millard ……167

Women using culture against women – C Landman……177

FEMINIST FICTION AND FEMININE FICTIONS

Introduction – J Malherbe……193

Gender coding in the narratives of Maria de Zayas – Y Gamboa……197

Residencial “herstory” as emergent culture – T Ntshinga……210

Gender roles and advertising – A du Preez……227

The good girl syndrome – M Machet……239