Cheryl de la Rey

“He's a Man, and I'm a Woman” Cultural Constructions of Masculinity and Femininity in South African Women's Narratives of Violence

In South Africa, woman abuse is a pervasive social problem. This article explores how abused women give meaning to their experiences. Narrative interviews were used to investigate 15 womens experiences of violence from their partners. In their narratives, women constructed particular gendered identities, which reflected contradictory and ambiguous subjective experiences. Meanings women attached to their experiences of abuse were filtered through the particular social context—characterized by poverty and deprivation—within which their experiences occurred. Womens naming of the violence was linked to broader sociocultural mechanisms that construct woman abuse as a social problem in South Africa.

The call for relevance : South African psychology ten years into democracy

A number of scholars during the 1980s and early 1990s questioned the relevance of psychology in South Africa. In this paper we characterise the nature of what became known as the ‘relevance debate’, and then investigate whether South African psychology has become more relevant during the nations first ten years of democracy. Themes which are identified with respect to this issue include the apparent increasing representation of marginalised groups within South African psychology, the conscious responsiveness of psychologists to post-apartheid policy imperatives and issues, their alignment with international theoretical trends, and finally, an increasing recognition of the political nature of South African psychology. The authors conclude that a more productive approach within future debates regarding relevance in psychology would be to examine the nature of knowledge production within the discipline.

South African feminism, race and racism

CHERYL DE LA REY critically discusses the shifting understandings of race and difference. She frames the possibility that even if anti-racism is made central to feminism, the idea of unity may be misplaced

BEYOND THE MASKS

CHERYL DE LA REY leads a discussion with AMINA MAMA about the writers groundbreaking work on black subjectivity. ZINE MAGUBANE presents some of the highlights of the conversation on the book BEYOND THE MASKS, held at the African Gender Institute in Cape Town

Intragroup Accounts of Teenage Motherhood: A Community Based Psychological Perspective

Using community based and women-centred perspectives, this study explored experiences of unplanned motherhood during adolescence. Ten African teenage mothers from a semi-rural area in KwaZulu-Natal volunteered to meet once a week for eight weeks to discuss their experiences of pregnancy and motherhood. The findings are discussed in the context of the effect of teenage motherhood on self, on family and peer relationships, traditional Zulu customs, and community support. Current relationships with partners and concerns about the future are also reported. The results indicate the need for school-based programmes and parent groups for adolescent mothers that will enhance their ability to examine options with a view to establishing a trajectory towards better life outcomes. Community health workers were also identified as resource personnel for enabling teenage mothers in rural and semi-rural areas to cope with their concerns and develop a way of understanding them.

Understanding Intra-Group Variations in Prejudice — The Role of Perceived Legitimacy and Stability:

Social Identity Theory predicts that the pattern of intergroup behaviour is a function of the relative status of the groups involved, and the perceived security of this hierarchy. Insecurity of social identity arises if the intergroup situation is seen as unstable and/or illegitimate. In this paper the authors suggest that these factors may also contribute to intra-group variations in outgroup discrimination and hostility. This was empirically investigated using black and white students from a South African university, at a time when social change appeared imminent. A measure of perceptions of status, stability and legitimacy was developed, and the effect of these perceptions on attitudes and various measures of discrimination tested. A consistent finding was that of the white subjects, those who perceived the intergroup situation as illegitimate, gave significantly less discriminatory responses than did those who perceived it as legitimate. The results provide support for some of the theoretical predictions.

Gender, women and leadership

abstract There is an ongoing debate which focuses on the question of whether women have different leadership styles from men. This article offers an overview of current perspectives on gender and leadership. Two opposing views of women and leadership are presented: Firstly, the view that there is little difference between women and men in leadership and secondly, the opposing argument that women have different leadership styles from men. The article suggests that the dominant view is that there are gender differences in leadership styles. It then examines explanations for these differences. By pointing to research on institutional culture, men and masculinities, it argues that gender differences in leadership are not reducible to biological differences, nor can these be adequately explained by socialisation practices and sex roles. Instead, we need to look at how some forms of gendered behaviours become dominant and privileged within organisational contexts that are masculinist. Finally, it is suggested that feminine attributes may provide a source of alternative leadership more appropriate for a new morality.abstract There is an ongoing debate which focuses on the question of whether women have different leadership styles from men. This article offers an overview of current perspectives on gender and leadership. Two opposing views of women and leadership are presented: Firstly, the view that there is little difference between women and men in leadership and secondly, the opposing argument that women have different leadership styles from men. The article suggests that the dominant view is that there are gender differences in leadership styles. It then examines explanations for these differences. By pointing to research on institutional culture, men and masculinities, it argues that gender differences in leadership are not reducible to biological differences, nor can these be adequately explained by socialisation practices and sex roles. Instead, we need to look at how some forms of gendered behaviours become dominant and privileged within organisational contexts that are masculinist. Finally, it is suggested t...

CULTURE, TRADITION AND GENDER: Let's talk about it

Published when Prof de la Rey was a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Durban-Westville.

Societal Transformation: Gender, Feminism and Psychology in South Africa

Pubished when Prof. de la Rey was senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Cape Town.

Community‐based Peer Groups: an Intervention Programme for Teenage Mothers

This paper assesses the use of community-based peer groups as an intervention strategy to provide teenage mothers with an opportunity to share common experiences, receive social support and identify links between personal and social problems. The method utilized in a recent community project on teenage pregnancy is outlined. Over a period of 8 weeks a group of 10 teenage mothers met weekly to share their experiences of pregnancy and motherhood. The facilitators used various games and audio-visual aids to build rapport and to enhance willingness to discuss sensitive topics. The final session comprised a 1-day training workshop to enable the participants to act as co-facilitators for similar groups in the future. The evaluation indicated that the participants felt empowered by the opportunity to discuss common experiences and to have their perceptions affirmed by their peers. The potential value of this programme within the broader mental health context of South Africa is briefly discussed, and also the possibility of adding a consciousness-raising element to such groups.