“You see this thing is hard… ey, this thing is painful”: The burden of the provider role and construction of masculinities amongst Black male mineworkers in Marikana, South Africa

Abstract

In this paper we examine men’s insights on how migration and minework affect their perceptions and performances of masculinity in the settings of minework and in their “real home” communities and explore the potential consequences of masculinity constructions for their own and their family’s health. This study used qualitative methodology. Findings are based on 13 in-depth interviews conducted over two phases of data collection with adult men who were either working or seeking work in the mines in North-West province, South Africa. Data suggest that for these men, migration to and working in the mines meant they must straddle the temporal space of work and the rural home space. For these men, the role of provider was an inescapable demand and, resulting from migration for work, their experience of fatherhood was solely centred on material provision with little or no emotional involvement with their children. Findings further illustrate the impact of minework on men’s health and livelihoods-resulting in some men reimagining and seeking to create alternative career paths for their children. There is pressing need for labour reforms on the employment conditions of low-paid mine workers to enable them to reinforce their livelihoods and secure better futures for their families. Gender-transformative interventions which aim to transform ideas of masculinity that emphasize providing rather than emotional involvement with children are also needed.

Fathers’ mental health and coping strategies: a qualitative study in Mwanza, Tanzania

“…To our knowledge, only a handful of qualitative studies have been published based on interviews directly with fathers in LMICs and regarding their mental health experiences. These exceptional prior studies from Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa have all underscored the centrality of poverty, unemployment and restrictive masculinities as major contributors to fathers’ mental health problems 29–31. However, prior studies have not investigated fathers’ mental health in terms of multiple psychopathologies (ie, depressive symptoms and stress); conceptually from an integrated early child developmental and family systems perspective; the coping strategies that men use when faced with mental health challenges; and methodologically through interviewing fathers, mothers and other stakeholders.…”

Societal factors impacting young Black men in South Africa

“…Meanwhile,Ichou (2008) explores how unemployment and patriarchal norms lead to disempowerment and shame, contrasting with men who challenge such norms and reshape masculinity. Additionally,Sikweyiya et al (2022) stress the importance of gender-transformative interventions for healthier family dynamics and communities. These studies, while conducted in different contexts, resonate with the experiences of young Black men in South Africa, offering insights into shared dynamics and strategies for empowerment.…”