involved being able to one day be able to pay Lobola, reaffirming their role as father, as well as not being influenced by peer pressure where faithfulness or care is considered as non-hegemonic (Hosegood and Madhavan, 2012). In essence Enderstein and Boonzaier’s (2012) research, showed the power fatherhood has to redefine and shape masculinities in young men, and this research hopes to expand on this, exploring a new aspect of masculinity and fatherhood as opposing yet coinciding aspects of what it means to be a man in south Africa today.
Research Aims and Rationale
This research is based on men, masculinity and fatherhood, aiming to examine the effects and relationship between masculinity and fatherhood practices in South Africa, where its
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Masculinity theory, in particular, hegemonic masculinity, highlights the supposed power men have over women, not just physically, but on a social level as well through various practices that accentuate masculinity and promote gender inequality (Jewkes et al., 2015). For example gender restricted access or the right for a man to renounce his role as father in black South African family settings (Lesch & Kelapile, 2016). Masculinity theory highlights the importance of heterosexuality as hegemony as the sexually influenced interactions between men as women are important (Jewkes et al., 2015). Hence why this research on fatherhood and masculinity not only looks at the relations between fathers and their children but the mothers of the children as well. In terms of intersectionality theory which, looks at the ways in which race, class and gender influence each other, this research examines the hegemonic masculinities formed as a result apartheid resulting in three separate hegemonic masculinities all highly influenced by race, cultural practices related to gender, which act as displays of sexuality and economic status (Lesch & Kelapile,