Rationalization of Indigenous Male Circumcision as a Sacred Religious Custom

Mavundla, Thandisizwe Redford; Netswera, Fulufhelo; Bottoman, Brian; Tóth, Ferenc

doi:10.1177/1043659609340801

Cited by 51 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Donga had just come out of ukwaluka and was ikrwala [a new man]. 'Ukwaluka' is a rite of passage for amaXhosa boys that comprise a series of rituals in African traditional religion upon which status change to manhood is acknowledged (Mager 1998;Mavundla et al 2009;Mekoa 2003). The ritual involves sending boys, usually at age 18, to a 4-week initiation school, after which they should forsake boyish behavior and assume adult behavior.…”

Section: Status and Recognition In Maternal Homesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Undisclosed Paternal Identity in Narratives of Distress Among Young People in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Nduna

Jewkes

2010

J Child Fam Stud

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Life trajectories of children with no connections to support from their fathers have received research attention. Within this group is a sub-group who do not know their fathers and no research has attempted to understand their experiences. We present accounts of how young South Africans deal with and seek to uncover undisclosed paternity. Forty young men and women aged 16 to 22 volunteered to participate in a qualitative study on distress that was conducted in the Eastern Cape Province. All interviews were conducted in isiXhosa, following a semi-structured guide. Our findings show that interest in father identity was motivated by harsh circumstances in the maternal home, notably when financial difficulties, exclusion from critical decision making and bullying by nonbiological siblings were felt. The search for father identity was pursued in solitude by some participants: their fear of elders' response restrained them from asking. Some thought that it would be interpreted as being disrespectful and ungrateful to ask 'such a question', whilst others worried that they might be victimized or, worse, thrown out by their mothers or maternal guardians. We present accounts of accidental disclosures by strangers and also inadvertent involvement in an incestuous relationship. Open and honest communication with children about their paternal identity should be promoted to prevent the currents of silence, secrecy and anxiety, and avoid unpleasant surprises for the children.

show abstract

Section: Status and Recognition In Maternal Homesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Undisclosed Paternal Identity in Narratives of Distress Among Young People in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Nduna

Jewkes

2010

J Child Fam Stud

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…10 The age and extent of foreskin removal in TC, and the acceptability of replacing the procedure with MC, is poorly understood.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Low acceptability of medical male circumcision as an HIV/AIDS prevention intervention within a South African community that practises traditional circumcision

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In 2009 there were 5.7 million people with HIV in South Africa (SA), accounting for 18% of all infections internationally. 1 Although prevalence rates are higher in women, 1 in 4 (25.8%) men aged 30 -34 years is infected. 2 Despite significant steps towards universal access to antiretroviral therapy, the ever-increasing number of HIV-infected South Africans makes uptake and improvement of prevention interventions urgent.Male circumcision is an effective prevention tool for reducing female-to-male HIV transmission. Randomised controlled trials conducted in SA, Kenya and Uganda have reported point efficacies of 60%, 53% and 51%, respectively. 3-5 Modelled data from 2006 have shown the potential population impact of circumcision rollout, 6 projecting the prevention of approximately 2 million new HIV infections and 300 000 AIDS deaths in sub-Saharan Africa in the next 10 years. Additional health benefits associated with the procedure include a lower risk of other sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as chancroid and syphilis. 7 For medical circumcision (MC) to be effective as an HIV prevention measure, it will need to be acceptable and accessible to young men in SA and should take place before sexual debut. A national survey found that the majority of circumcised men aged 15 years or older had been circumcised traditionally (57%). 8 Within the Xhosa tribe, who comprise 23% of black South African men, 9 traditional circumcision (TC) is considered a 'rite of passage to manhood' . 10 The age and extent of foreskin removal in TC, and the acceptability of replacing the procedure with MC, is poorly understood.We investigated a cohort of mainly Xhosa men to determine the proportion who had undergone TC, the extent of foreskin removal, and attitudes towards MC as an HIV prevention tool, for themselves and their sons. MethodsThe study was conducted at an HIV prevention trial site in a periurban settlement close to Cape Town, SA, which has an estimated population of 350 000, 11 an HIV prevalence of 23% 12 and a 99% black African and 95% Xhosa-speaking demographic. 11 Volunteers were eligible for the study if they were male, aged 15 -42 years, and living in the settlement at the time of the study. Participants were recruited from an observational cohort and the voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) service and were sequentially enrolled. Volunteers were offered regular HIV and STI screening as well as risk reduction counselling. All study participants gave written informed consent and the study was approved by the University of Cape Town's Research Ethics Committee.Demographic and screening data were kept in a central database. Participation required a single study visit, wherein volunteers were screened for eligibility and enrolled. Participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire assessing self-reported circumcision status, context of and reasons for previous or planned circumcision, and willingness to undergo MC and/or willingness to permit a son's MC. Recognising that TC comprises several cultural c...

show abstract

“…With the introduction of locomotives to the Green Kalahari area from the 1920s (Boonzaaier 2008), a number of isiXhosa-speaking men moved in from the Eastern Cape. The practice of male circumcision, by the isiXhosa-speaking men, is influenced by the belief that there is spiritual unity between the practice and the ancestors (Mavundla et al 2009). Therefore, the initiation ceremony promotes spiritual, family and communal unity, a sense of belonging and social identity (Mavundla et al 2009), and underlines why some people chose to rather not be classified as Coloured but rather chose to go to the black township so that they were with a community where their ancestral rituals could be practiced (Sixaxa 1998).…”

Section: [He Can Of Course Change Himself Into Anything; That Is How mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The practice of male circumcision, by the isiXhosa-speaking men, is influenced by the belief that there is spiritual unity between the practice and the ancestors (Mavundla et al 2009). Therefore, the initiation ceremony promotes spiritual, family and communal unity, a sense of belonging and social identity (Mavundla et al 2009), and underlines why some people chose to rather not be classified as Coloured but rather chose to go to the black township so that they were with a community where their ancestral rituals could be practiced (Sixaxa 1998). It also clarifies why some people chose to rather remain in the townships, where they had built spiritual ties to the landscape, than move back to Keidebees despite successful land claims.…”

Section: [He Can Of Course Change Himself Into Anything; That Is How mentioning

confidence: 99%

Spirituality, shifting identities and social change: Cases from the Kalahari landscape

Lange

Dyll-Myklebust

2015

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Storytelling, art and craft can be considered aesthetic expressions of identities. Kalahari identities are not fixed, but fluid. Research with present-day Kalahari People regarding their artistic expression and places where it has been, and is still, practised highlights that these expressions are informed by spirituality. This article explores this idea via two Kalahari case studies: Water Stories recorded in the Upington, Kakamas area, as well as research on a specific rock engraving site at Biesje Poort near Kakamas. The importance of the Kalahari People’s spiritual beliefs as reflected in these case studies and its significance regarding their identities and influence on social change and/or community development projects is discussed. The article thus highlights ways in which spirituality can be considered in relation to social change projects that are characterised by partnerships between local community, non-government and tertiary education representatives and researchers and that highlight storytelling as an integral part of people’s spirituality.

show abstract

Rationalization of Indigenous Male Circumcision as a Sacred Religious Custom

Cited by 51 publications

References 20 publications

Undisclosed Paternal Identity in Narratives of Distress Among Young People in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Undisclosed Paternal Identity in Narratives of Distress Among Young People in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Low acceptability of medical male circumcision as an HIV/AIDS prevention intervention within a South African community that practises traditional circumcision

Spirituality, shifting identities and social change: Cases from the Kalahari landscape

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About