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“Face of Fertility: Migrant isiXhosa-speaking Women's Reproductive Experiences and Agency in the Cape 1950-1989”
This thesis focuses on the reproductive experiences and agency of a group of isiXhosa-speaking migrants in the Cape from the 1950s to the 1980s. It examines why they decided to use contraceptive methods provided at state health facilities from 1960-1989, when they had been raised in a cultural conte...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Historical Studies
2022
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| _version_ | 1867613350711525376 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Mbinda, Zola |
| author2 | Mbali, Mandisa |
| author_browse | Mbali, Mandisa Mbinda, Zola |
| author_facet | Mbali, Mandisa Mbinda, Zola |
| author_sort | Mbinda, Zola |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | This thesis focuses on the reproductive experiences and agency of a group of isiXhosa-speaking migrants in the Cape from the 1950s to the 1980s. It examines why they decided to use contraceptive methods provided at state health facilities from 1960-1989, when they had been raised in a cultural context where a woman's reproductive capacity (fertility) was highly prized. While there have been influential quantitative demographic studies documenting the decline in fertility in this period, more qualitative, oral history studies are needed to describe African migrant women's reproductive decision-making in relation to how many children they chose to have and which points in their lives to have them. The study is based on twenty in-depth interviews conducted in isiXhosa with women who migrated between rural areas in the Transkei and Ciskei and towns and cities in the Cape. Three main findings emerged from the research. Firstly, the women all emphasised the maintenance of virginity prior to marriage was a norm that was inculcated in them during their adolescence in the rural areas. Fertility within the context of marriage was normative. Secondly, after many of these women moved to urban areas such as Cape Town, Queenstown and Kimberley, they learnt about contraceptive methods and their decision-making was also influenced by their precarious incomes and status as migrants in an apartheid context. Thirdly, a further issue explored is the extent to which the women viewed apartheid oppression as having influenced their reproductive decision-making. Many of the women argued that their use of contraceptives was not influenced by apartheid oppression, despite the fact that they experienced it with particular intensity in Cape Town and other urban areas discussed. Instead they emphasized the importance of ukuthwala in their sexual and reproductive lives. Ultimately, the study adds to our understanding of African women migrants' reproductive experiences. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/36040 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:34:45.551Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Department of Historical Studies |
| publisherStr | Department of Historical Studies |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/36040 “Face of Fertility: Migrant isiXhosa-speaking Women's Reproductive Experiences and Agency in the Cape 1950-1989” Mbinda, Zola Mbali, Mandisa Historical Studies This thesis focuses on the reproductive experiences and agency of a group of isiXhosa-speaking migrants in the Cape from the 1950s to the 1980s. It examines why they decided to use contraceptive methods provided at state health facilities from 1960-1989, when they had been raised in a cultural context where a woman's reproductive capacity (fertility) was highly prized. While there have been influential quantitative demographic studies documenting the decline in fertility in this period, more qualitative, oral history studies are needed to describe African migrant women's reproductive decision-making in relation to how many children they chose to have and which points in their lives to have them. The study is based on twenty in-depth interviews conducted in isiXhosa with women who migrated between rural areas in the Transkei and Ciskei and towns and cities in the Cape. Three main findings emerged from the research. Firstly, the women all emphasised the maintenance of virginity prior to marriage was a norm that was inculcated in them during their adolescence in the rural areas. Fertility within the context of marriage was normative. Secondly, after many of these women moved to urban areas such as Cape Town, Queenstown and Kimberley, they learnt about contraceptive methods and their decision-making was also influenced by their precarious incomes and status as migrants in an apartheid context. Thirdly, a further issue explored is the extent to which the women viewed apartheid oppression as having influenced their reproductive decision-making. Many of the women argued that their use of contraceptives was not influenced by apartheid oppression, despite the fact that they experienced it with particular intensity in Cape Town and other urban areas discussed. Instead they emphasized the importance of ukuthwala in their sexual and reproductive lives. Ultimately, the study adds to our understanding of African women migrants' reproductive experiences. 2022-03-10T11:32:52Z 2022-03-10T11:32:52Z 2021 2022-03-06T07:26:40Z Master Thesis Masters M. A. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36040 eng application/pdf Department of Historical Studies Faculty of Humanities |
| spellingShingle | Historical Studies Mbinda, Zola “Face of Fertility: Migrant isiXhosa-speaking Women's Reproductive Experiences and Agency in the Cape 1950-1989” |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | “Face of Fertility: Migrant isiXhosa-speaking Women's Reproductive Experiences and Agency in the Cape 1950-1989” |
| title_full | “Face of Fertility: Migrant isiXhosa-speaking Women's Reproductive Experiences and Agency in the Cape 1950-1989” |
| title_fullStr | “Face of Fertility: Migrant isiXhosa-speaking Women's Reproductive Experiences and Agency in the Cape 1950-1989” |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Face of Fertility: Migrant isiXhosa-speaking Women's Reproductive Experiences and Agency in the Cape 1950-1989” |
| title_short | “Face of Fertility: Migrant isiXhosa-speaking Women's Reproductive Experiences and Agency in the Cape 1950-1989” |
| title_sort | face of fertility migrant isixhosa speaking women s reproductive experiences and agency in the cape 1950 1989 |
| topic | Historical Studies |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36040 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mbindazola faceoffertilitymigrantisixhosaspeakingwomensreproductiveexperiencesandagencyinthecape19501989 |