Original Research

Gender role changes in African households: A challenge to theology and psychology

Hundzukani P. Khosa-Nkatini, Wonke Buqa, Nondumiso Machimana
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi | Vol 57, No 1 | a2893 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ids.v57i1.2893 | © 2023 Hundzukani Portia khosa-Nkatini, Wonke Buqa, Nondumiso Machimana | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 26 July 2022 | Published: 06 June 2023

About the author(s)

Hundzukani P. Khosa-Nkatini, Faculty of Humanities, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa; and National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), Pretoria, South Africa
Wonke Buqa, Department of Practical Theology and Mission Studies, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa, South Africa
Nondumiso Machimana, Department of Humanities Education, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Women empowerment is growing in South African communities and workplaces. More women are in executive positions which often require time away from home with the implication that their conversations with family and relatives are limited. As time change, the role of men changes in the family context especially in Africa. Gone are the days when women were told that they belong in the kitchen. More women step forward in the corporate world by taking up key leadership roles. The purpose of the Employment Equity Act (EEA) is to protect employees from unfair treatment. However, the implementation of affirmative action aims at measuring whether the challenges faced by the previously disadvantaged groups, and factors such as age, gender, ethnicity and disability regarding basic employment conditions are still questionable. Some women earn more than their husbands, compared to the past when men were the breadwinners of the household, particularly in black communities. In this article is discussed the factors contributing to black men’s gender role changing in the household from a theological and psychological perspective.

Contribution: The contextual perspective of this research is contributed by the African men’s concern regarding cultural beliefs and practices relating to gender role changes in households. The contribution of this article is to inform people about factors, which African men experience in gender role changes in households from both a theological and psychological perspective. This research is done using a literature review; thus, a multi-disciplinary approach, which seeks to provide knowledge and encourage African black men to embrace gender transformation roles in households.


Keywords

households; psychology; theology; men; women; gender; roles; community; culture.

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Crossref Citations

1. Societal factors impacting young Black men in South Africa
Samuel Ntsanwisi
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doi: 10.1108/JHASS-08-2023-0093