Exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Traditional gender and social norms reinforce asymmetrical power relations, increase the risk of experiencing gender-based violence and mediate poor engagement with sexual and reproductive health services. This study explored gender norms and expectations amongst cisgender adolescents in rural KwaZu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296806&type=printable |
| _version_ | 1797349343887360000 |
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| author | Brett Marshall Celia Mehou-Loko Sindisiwe Mazibuko Makhosazana Madladla Lucia Knight Hilton Humphries |
| author_facet | Brett Marshall Celia Mehou-Loko Sindisiwe Mazibuko Makhosazana Madladla Lucia Knight Hilton Humphries |
| author_sort | Brett Marshall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Traditional gender and social norms reinforce asymmetrical power relations, increase the risk of experiencing gender-based violence and mediate poor engagement with sexual and reproductive health services. This study explored gender norms and expectations amongst cisgender adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A purposive sample of 29 adolescents aged 16-19 years old were enrolled as part of a longitudinal qualitative study. The current analysis reports on the first round of in-depth interviews, which focused on the role of men and women in their community. A theoretically informed thematic analysis identified three broad themes: 1) Adolescent interpretation and understanding of gender identity, 2) Gendered essentialism and Gender roles (two sub-themes: Young men: Power through providing, and Young women: The domestication process which highlighted that gender roles were defined by being the provider for men, and the successful fulfilment of traditional domestic behaviours amongst women), 3) Gender and fertility highlighted how participants highly valued fertility as affirming of manhood/womanhood. These norms reinforce gender roles that maintain asymmetrical power relations, carrying them over into adulthood. The subtle social pressure to prove fertility could have unintended consequences for driving teenage pregnancy. Structural, gender-based interventions emphasising positive gender-role development in early childhood are needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:28:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-195f154de2d5466b9cfaaf337d71999e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:28:58Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-195f154de2d5466b9cfaaf337d71999e2024-01-22T05:31:29ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-01191e029680610.1371/journal.pone.0296806Exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.Brett MarshallCelia Mehou-LokoSindisiwe MazibukoMakhosazana MadladlaLucia KnightHilton HumphriesTraditional gender and social norms reinforce asymmetrical power relations, increase the risk of experiencing gender-based violence and mediate poor engagement with sexual and reproductive health services. This study explored gender norms and expectations amongst cisgender adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A purposive sample of 29 adolescents aged 16-19 years old were enrolled as part of a longitudinal qualitative study. The current analysis reports on the first round of in-depth interviews, which focused on the role of men and women in their community. A theoretically informed thematic analysis identified three broad themes: 1) Adolescent interpretation and understanding of gender identity, 2) Gendered essentialism and Gender roles (two sub-themes: Young men: Power through providing, and Young women: The domestication process which highlighted that gender roles were defined by being the provider for men, and the successful fulfilment of traditional domestic behaviours amongst women), 3) Gender and fertility highlighted how participants highly valued fertility as affirming of manhood/womanhood. These norms reinforce gender roles that maintain asymmetrical power relations, carrying them over into adulthood. The subtle social pressure to prove fertility could have unintended consequences for driving teenage pregnancy. Structural, gender-based interventions emphasising positive gender-role development in early childhood are needed.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296806&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Brett Marshall Celia Mehou-Loko Sindisiwe Mazibuko Makhosazana Madladla Lucia Knight Hilton Humphries Exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. PLoS ONE |
| title | Exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
| title_full | Exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
| title_fullStr | Exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
| title_short | Exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
| title_sort | exploring perceptions of gender roles amongst sexually active adolescents in rural kwazulu natal south africa |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296806&type=printable |
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