Changing Men in Southern Africa

The transition from Apartheid to democracy disturbed the established gender order of South Africa. This book looks at the way in which men, under Apartheid and afterwards, responded to, were affected by and themselves contributed to the transitions in Southern Africa. It examines different forms of masculinity, highlighting the importance of race and class. The violent legacy of colonialism and Apartheid is apparent everywhere, most frequently expressed against other men (younger, older, of different colour). The contributors explore how the position of men has changed. African chiefs, rural authority figures, faced the challenge of women and young men. White Afrikaans-speaking fathers confronted the erosive forces of modernist individualism. Both groups succeeded but only by bending the knee. Men in South Africa are still dominant in the domestic and public realm, but masculinities have shifted, and in many cases become more inclusive. Masculinities are changing. Different visions of masculinity are emerging and with them, the hope of a more peaceful society.