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Browsing Anthropology by Author "Erasmus, P. A."
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Item Open Access Afrikaner values in post-apartheid South Africa : an anthropological perspective(University of the Free State, 2011-07-27) Van der Merwe, Jan Petrus; Erasmus, P. A.English: The aim of this study is to conduct an investigation from an anthropological perspective, on the impact that post-apartheid South Africa has had on the Afrikaner’s judgement of value, as well as on his identity-formation. Afrikaner values comprise therefore the central theme of three of the main articles, while narratives, myths, religion and identity represent the focus of incidence of the other two articles. Up to and including 1990, an official Afrikaner identity existed, which was largely determined by a grand narrative that was constructed around church membership, an association with political power and party membership, as well as membership of cultural organisations such as the Broederbond. After 1994, the loss of this official identity, has marginalised Afrikaners and plunged them into an existential crisis. In this regard, this study will point out two factors, namely that the Afrikaners’ emotional and intellectual ties with the Afrikaans culture, churches, politics and the Afrikaans language in the post-Apartheid dispensation are in a process of changing, even becoming attenuated; that Afrikaners are increasingly pursuing a new, cosmopolitan identity and way of life. Although commentators differ regarding the question as to what effect the post-apartheid dispensation had, and is still having on Afrikaners, it is undoubtedly true that the political and social transformations that South Africa has undergone since 1994 have indeed been far-reaching in nature and that these transformations largely took the great majority of Afrikaners by surprise. Afrikaners clearly were not prepared for the changes that ensued, with the result that after a period of fifteen years they are being confronted with the dire necessity to reflect on their values, their solidarity, their identity, as well as their role and place in the “new” South Africa. Recent anthropological information on the Afrikaner is limited – Afrikaans anthropologists have largely neglected the study of the changes that the culture and identity of Afrikaners have undergone since 1994. As a result, the contributions of Afrikaans-speaking anthropologists to the discourses surrounding current issues that affect the Afrikaner (religion, morality, identity, narratives and myths), and the characteristics of the so-called “new” Afrikaner, are relatively limited. In this regard the broad aim of the current study is to conduct a comprehensive ethnographic investigation into the current tendencies in Afrikaner culture and identity. Afrikaner values would thus be used as the point of departure from which the ethnographic material will be explored.Item Open Access Female initiation: becoming a woman among the Basotho(University of the Free State, 2006-05) Du Plooy, Shirley; Erasmus, P. A.; Van Rensburg, H. C. J.The aim of this study was to investigate and report on female initiation among the Basotho of the rural eastern Free State and Lesotho. Triangulating the data gleaned with multiple methods and techniques (participant observation, the use of key informants, in- depth interviews, life histories), a descriptive account of the initiation process was possible. With the empirical evidence, a number of issues could be addressed. Firstly, the lacuna in the existing Southern African ethnographic literature concerning initiation, particularly that of girls is filled. Secondly, applying Van Gennep’s (1909) tripartite scheme for rites of passage, a theoretical framework, unlike abstaining only with a detailed ethnographic description, on the one hand was used particularly in the evaluation and analysis of the data, and on the other offered an opportunity to verify the applicability of said scheme. Thirdly, not only did this study attempt to answer the question of the occurrence of female circumcision among the Basotho, it argues that the existing literature does not clearly distinguish between the two actions ‘to initiate’ and ‘to circumcise’, thereby placing their credibility in question.Item Open Access The socio-cultural contexts of patients undergoing antiretroviral treatment in Petrusburg: an anthropological perspective(University of the Free State, 2010-05) Serekoane, Motsaathebe; Erasmus, P. A.; Van Rensburg, H. C. J.English: Although antiretroviral (ARV) medicines do not provide a cure for HIV and AIDS and are associated with other problems such as side effects and drug resistance, they can increase the length and quality of life, as well as the productivity of patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Antiretroviral regimens have improved survival rates and lowered the incidence of opportunistic infections in people with AIDS. Strict adherence to ART is crucial in order to maintain a low viral load and to prevent the development of drug resistant strains of the virus. However, some patients do not return for follow-up on schedule and the likely outcome for such patients is sub-optimal adherence to prescribed ARV regimens and possible treatment failure. Anthropological studies have shown that patients‟ explanatory models are necessary additions to the treatment criteria used by health providers (Kleinman, 1980 & 1988; Nanda & Warms, 2002). Kleinman et al. (1978) introduced the concept of the explanatory model in applying anthropological insight to clinical practice. They maintain that, in the health care encounter, patients and practitioners may be working with different and competing models. If not properly managed, such divergent and incongruent models may result in ineffective treatment or non-compliance (cf. Jones et al., 1998). If Eisenberg‟s (1977) assumption that, „a patient suffers illnesses, and doctors diagnose and treat disease‟ is correct then Kleinman‟s (1980) pursuit to reconcile the social and medical constructs of ill health is a worthy endeavour. Unfortunately, such a comprehensive approach is for the most part, lacking in the literature. In line with Kleinman‟s view, this study argued that, HIV and AIDS, ARV medication adherence, prevention programmes and treatment readiness training cannot be studied and understood without taking into account the individual‟s explanatory models (situated within and constrained by social context), as well as how individuals construct an understanding of and imposes meaning on the world around them. Given the importance of proper adherence management, the aim of this study was to conduct an ethnographic inquiry into the nature and role of individuals‟ socio-cultural contexts in treatment adherence/non-adherence regardin antiretroviral treatment. In order to achieve this aim, three integrated ethnographic data collection methods, i.e., participant observation, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were employed to better understand the socio-cultural context and experiential understanding of patients on ARV. The results reinforced several important facts related to HIV and AIDS, ARV medication adherence, prevention programmes and treatment readiness training, and shed additional light on other areas of patient social interaction that might add value to current discourse/practices. The study concluded that patients‟ socio-cultural context provides crucial information that can be used not only to identify causal reasoning, understanding of ill health, treatment readiness training, prevention programmes and adherence to treatment, but to assist in ascertaining the most effective means of intervention within a particular society or community.Item Open Access Women in patriarchy in Lesotho: a deconstructive study(University of the Free State, 2005) Molapo, Ethel Lea 'M'ajonathane; Erasmus, P. A.𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 The motivation for this study was a realization of the need to seek from the perspectives of both males and females the different meanings and experiences of patriarchy. Through reviewing existing feminist theories and explanations in Anthropology it became clear that the focus is, to a large extent, only on female views and experiences. The phenomena of patriarchy can thus not be understood and interpreted in terms of the total socio-cultural context which encompasses it. As is suggested by the title of the thesis, Lesotho was chosen as the research area. Lesotho has a pre-industrial, migrant labour driven, subsistence economy where traditional values seem still very much reflecting on gender relations. The study was conducted in Peka, in the Leribe district, where six villages were selected. The research took as its point of departure an insider perspective. The emphasis, therefore, was on data collecting by means of unstructured interviewing, participant observation and life histories. Regarding the analysis and interpretation of the qualitative data, an inductive analytical strategy was followed. Apart from that, an important emphasis was placed on deconstruction. Surprisingly handbooks on social research are not dealing with the topic and guidelines for practical application almost do not exist. Therefore, it was necessary to develop an own methodological approach. The deconstruction of ethnographic texts provided access to the mode in which patriarchy is/was constructed, constituted and entrenched in Basotho customs, beliefs, practices, social relations, family life and institutions. It detects the shifted, deferred and concealed meanings of patriarchy, it reveals that patriarchy hinders gender equality and that it has several facets, and that male and female informants viewed, understood, explained and experienced patriarchy differently. In conclusion, the possibilities, on the one hand, for future research on the methodological refinement of the deconstruction of ethnographic texts, as well as on the other hand, the challenges to the Basotho government and society in order to address gender discrepancies and inequalities, are adumbrated. ___________________________________________________________________