The Role of Gender in the History of the Professional Development of South African Nursing and Nursing Organisations
Historically, female nurse leaders endeavoured to make nursing a profession by establishing nursing organisations that could act as agents of change. They were hampered by sociocultural notions of gender: men dominating society, politics, and the economy. Nurses therefore needed positive working rel...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Sciendo
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Gender Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2022-0008 |
| _version_ | 1818744997127651328 |
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| author | Esterhuizen Jm Van Rensburg Gh |
| author_facet | Esterhuizen Jm Van Rensburg Gh |
| author_sort | Esterhuizen Jm |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Historically, female nurse leaders endeavoured to make nursing a profession by establishing nursing organisations that could act as agents of change. They were hampered by sociocultural notions of gender: men dominating society, politics, and the economy. Nurses therefore needed positive working relationships with male leaders. In South Africa, such gender dynamics led to the South African Nursing Association (SANA), being influenced by a political system, that is, apartheid, which had dire consequences for the profession. This article illustrates that historically the emerging nursing profession was intimately connected with a changing society: female nurses strove for economic and professional independence but were confined by a male-dominated (medical) society. South African female nurse leaders never openly challenged the political status quo. It is recommended that current South African nursing organisations advocate for gender equality and clarify how they can foster a health-care environment in which gender diversity is the norm. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T02:53:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f83986d4556431e821ba2a5dbf487cd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2286-0134 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T02:53:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gender Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f83986d4556431e821ba2a5dbf487cd2022-12-21T21:23:25ZengSciendoGender Studies2286-01342021-12-0120111012710.2478/genst-2022-0008The Role of Gender in the History of the Professional Development of South African Nursing and Nursing OrganisationsEsterhuizen Jm0Van Rensburg Gh1D Litt et Phil graduate, University ofSouth AfricaProfessor: Department of Health Studies, University ofSouth AfricaHistorically, female nurse leaders endeavoured to make nursing a profession by establishing nursing organisations that could act as agents of change. They were hampered by sociocultural notions of gender: men dominating society, politics, and the economy. Nurses therefore needed positive working relationships with male leaders. In South Africa, such gender dynamics led to the South African Nursing Association (SANA), being influenced by a political system, that is, apartheid, which had dire consequences for the profession. This article illustrates that historically the emerging nursing profession was intimately connected with a changing society: female nurses strove for economic and professional independence but were confined by a male-dominated (medical) society. South African female nurse leaders never openly challenged the political status quo. It is recommended that current South African nursing organisations advocate for gender equality and clarify how they can foster a health-care environment in which gender diversity is the norm.https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2022-0008gendersociocultural factorsnursesnursing organisationssouth africa |
| spellingShingle | Esterhuizen Jm Van Rensburg Gh The Role of Gender in the History of the Professional Development of South African Nursing and Nursing Organisations Gender Studies gender sociocultural factors nurses nursing organisations south africa |
| title | The Role of Gender in the History of the Professional Development of South African Nursing and Nursing Organisations |
| title_full | The Role of Gender in the History of the Professional Development of South African Nursing and Nursing Organisations |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Gender in the History of the Professional Development of South African Nursing and Nursing Organisations |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Gender in the History of the Professional Development of South African Nursing and Nursing Organisations |
| title_short | The Role of Gender in the History of the Professional Development of South African Nursing and Nursing Organisations |
| title_sort | role of gender in the history of the professional development of south african nursing and nursing organisations |
| topic | gender sociocultural factors nurses nursing organisations south africa |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2022-0008 |
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