A man's role as a head, a burden or a blessing? An exploration of the African and Christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male person

In 2020, during a strict lockdown in South Africa, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country experienced an increase in gender-based violence (hereafter, GBV) cases perpetrated by men. Similar incidents occurred in August 2021, declared a women’s month in South Africa, as a tribute to the over 20,0...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rev. Jacob Mokhutso
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Africajournals 2021-10-01
Series:Pharos Journal of Theology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_34_vol_102_2021_ufs.pdf
_version_ 1819350348658114560
author Rev. Jacob Mokhutso
author_facet Rev. Jacob Mokhutso
author_sort Rev. Jacob Mokhutso
collection DOAJ
description In 2020, during a strict lockdown in South Africa, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country experienced an increase in gender-based violence (hereafter, GBV) cases perpetrated by men. Similar incidents occurred in August 2021, declared a women’s month in South Africa, as a tribute to the over 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 to protest against the extension of pass laws. Many scholars have tried to make sense of this, giving rise to diverse views about the causes of this phenomenon. Other scholars argue that men behave in this manner because of the high unemployment rate, as many businesses are struggling, due to a loss of revenue, as a result of COVID-19, and the government’s lockdown measures. Other perspectives from different quarters indicate that GBV is due to stress and many other mental conditions, as a South African dwindling economy has impacted on families and caused losses of jobs and businesses closing. This is not the first time that the country has experienced these high cases of GBV. Over the years, men have and continue to commit heinous crimes and abuse each other, as well as women and children. This raises a question: Is this violence not a reaction by men to their role as heads of families and their socialisation by the African culture and Christian religion that teaches men to be heads of their households? Secondary data methods were applied in this research. The research found that men are under enormous pressure to meet society’s expectations of them. That pressure has turned them into monsters who are not coping and instead kill themselves, their loved ones, or resort to violence.
first_indexed 2024-12-24T19:15:00Z
format Article
id doaj.art-76759d6439ea4efea517fefad11ecf4e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2414-3324
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-24T19:15:00Z
publishDate 2021-10-01
publisher Africajournals
record_format Article
series Pharos Journal of Theology
spelling doaj.art-76759d6439ea4efea517fefad11ecf4e2022-12-21T16:42:54ZengAfricajournalsPharos Journal of Theology2414-33242021-10-01102https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.102034A man's role as a head, a burden or a blessing? An exploration of the African and Christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male personRev. Jacob Mokhutso0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1757-6829PhD Candidate Biblical and Religious Studies Faculty: Theology and Religion University of the Free StateIn 2020, during a strict lockdown in South Africa, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country experienced an increase in gender-based violence (hereafter, GBV) cases perpetrated by men. Similar incidents occurred in August 2021, declared a women’s month in South Africa, as a tribute to the over 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 to protest against the extension of pass laws. Many scholars have tried to make sense of this, giving rise to diverse views about the causes of this phenomenon. Other scholars argue that men behave in this manner because of the high unemployment rate, as many businesses are struggling, due to a loss of revenue, as a result of COVID-19, and the government’s lockdown measures. Other perspectives from different quarters indicate that GBV is due to stress and many other mental conditions, as a South African dwindling economy has impacted on families and caused losses of jobs and businesses closing. This is not the first time that the country has experienced these high cases of GBV. Over the years, men have and continue to commit heinous crimes and abuse each other, as well as women and children. This raises a question: Is this violence not a reaction by men to their role as heads of families and their socialisation by the African culture and Christian religion that teaches men to be heads of their households? Secondary data methods were applied in this research. The research found that men are under enormous pressure to meet society’s expectations of them. That pressure has turned them into monsters who are not coping and instead kill themselves, their loved ones, or resort to violence.https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_34_vol_102_2021_ufs.pdfmancurseblessingafricanchristian
spellingShingle Rev. Jacob Mokhutso
A man's role as a head, a burden or a blessing? An exploration of the African and Christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male person
Pharos Journal of Theology
man
curse
blessing
african
christian
title A man's role as a head, a burden or a blessing? An exploration of the African and Christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male person
title_full A man's role as a head, a burden or a blessing? An exploration of the African and Christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male person
title_fullStr A man's role as a head, a burden or a blessing? An exploration of the African and Christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male person
title_full_unstemmed A man's role as a head, a burden or a blessing? An exploration of the African and Christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male person
title_short A man's role as a head, a burden or a blessing? An exploration of the African and Christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male person
title_sort man s role as a head a burden or a blessing an exploration of the african and christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male person
topic man
curse
blessing
african
christian
url https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_34_vol_102_2021_ufs.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT revjacobmokhutso amansroleasaheadaburdenorablessinganexplorationoftheafricanandchristianperspectivesontheconventionalroleofamaleperson
AT revjacobmokhutso mansroleasaheadaburdenorablessinganexplorationoftheafricanandchristianperspectivesontheconventionalroleofamaleperson