Browsing by Author "Mubaiwa, Unopachido"

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    Navigating life in Stellenbosch University men's residences: the experiences of black queer students.
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Mubaiwa, Unopachido; Van Schalkwyk, Samantha; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This qualitative study, grounded in Social Constructionism and Critical Race Theory, explored Black queer students’ intersectional experiences of living at Stellenbosch University men’s residences. The rationale for this study was motivated by the need to continue investigating how efforts towards deep-rooted transformation have manifested in spaces such as SU men’s residences, which have historically housed hegemonies of Whiteness, heteronormativity, and Afrikanerdom. Furthermore, the study recognised the need for more research focusing on the intersectional oppression of Black queer students due to the multi-layered and complex aspects of their identities and experiences. In-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with six self-identifying Black queer students and analysed using Thematic Analysis (TA). The study findings yield critically significant insights into how cultures and behaviours prevalent in SU men’s residences impact and shape the experiences of Black queer students. The student narratives illuminate the presence of everyday racism, which is ingrained in the make-up of SU, the men’s residences, and the complexities of navigating being both Black and queer in an environment textured by multiple historically based oppression. Insights from the study also shed light on how power functions within SU men’s residences and how participants experienced the residence environment as perpetuating psychological and physical violence through problematic traditions, racial and queerphobic microaggressions, and historical legacies which function at the expense of Black queer students. The findings also highlight how self-identifying Black queer students navigate these spaces by utilising their agency in responding to dominant cultures and behaviours present in SU men’s residences and the broader SU environment. Strategies employed by the participants included subjectively taking up space, creating communities of care, and making sense of and shaping their realities. In light of Stellenbosch University’s Vision 2040, which seeks to create a transformative student experience built by cultures of diversity and inclusion, studies which explore the lived experiences of students must be used as a mechanism for promoting deep rooted transformation and holding spaces such as SU men’s residences accountable. The study serves as a reason why SU men’s residences should be dissected in terms of cultures, behaviours, and traditions to ensure that all aspects of higher education value the importance of diversity and inclusion.