Navigating life in Stellenbosch University men's residences: the experiences of black queer students.

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dc.contributor.advisorVan Schalkwyk, Samanthaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMubaiwa, Unopachidoen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Psychology.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-05T09:30:08Zen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T19:04:20Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2024-03-05T09:30:08Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2024-04-26T19:04:20Zen_ZA
dc.date.issued2024-03en_ZA
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH 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.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie, geanker in die Teorie van Sosiale Konstruksie en Kritiese Rasseteorie, het die interseksionele ervarings van swart queer studente wat in die manskoshuise van die Universiteit Stellenbosch woon, ondersoek. Die rasionaal vir die studie is gemotiveer deur die behoefte om voort te gaan om te ondersoek hoe pogings tot diepgewortelde transformasie gemanifesteer het in spasies soos USmanskoshuise, wat histories hegemonieë van witheid, heteronormatiwiteit en Afrikanerdom gehuisves het. Verder het die studie die behoefte erken vir meer navorsing wat fokus op die interseksionele onderdrukkings van swart queer studente, as gevolg van die veelvlakkige en komplekse aspekte van hul identiteite en ervarings. In-diepte semi-gestruktureerde kwalitatiewe onderhoude is met ses self-identifiserende swart queer-studente gevoer en met behulp van Tematiese Analise (TA) ontleed.Die studiebevindinge lewer krities betekenisvolle insigte oor hoe kulture en gedrag wat algemeen voorkom in US-manskoshuise die ervarings van swart queer-studente beïnvloed en vorm. Die studentevertellings belig die teenwoordigheid van alledaagse rassisme wat in die samestelling van die US en US-manskoshuise ingeburger is, sowel as die kompleksiteite om beide swart en queer te navigeer in 'n omgewing wat deur veelvuldige histories-gebaseerde onderdrukkings gestruktureer is. Bevindinge beklemtoon ook hoe mag binne die US-manskoshuise funksioneer, en hoe deelnemers die koshuisomgewing ervaar as 'n spasie wat psigologiese en fisiese geweld deur problematiese tradisies, rassistiese en queerfobiese mikro-aggressies en historiese nalatenskappe perpetueer, wat funksioneer ten koste van swart queer studente. Bevindinge beklemtoon ook hoe selfidentifiserende swart queer studente hierdie spasies navigeer deur gebruik te maak van hul individuele agentskap om te reageer op dominante kulture en gedrag wat teenwoordig is in die US-manskoshuise en die breër US-omgewing. Strategieë wat deur die deelnemers aangewend word, sluit subjektiewe spasie-opname, die skepping van sorgsame gemeenskappe en die sin maak van en vorm gee aan hul realiteite in. Teen die agtergrond van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se visie vir 2040 wat poog om 'n transformerende studente-ervaring te skep wat gebaseer is op kulture van diversiteit en insluiting, is dit noodsaaklik dat studies wat die geleefde ervarings van studente verken, gebruik word as 'n meganisme vir die bevordering van diepgewortelde transformasie en die aanspreeklikheid van spasies soos die USmanskoshuise. Die studie dien as 'n rede waarom die US-manskoshuise ontleed behoort te word in terme van kulture, gedrag en tradisies, om te verseker dat alle aspekte van hoër onderwys die belang van diversiteit en insluiting waardeer.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extent187 pagesen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130478en_ZA
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshStellenbosch University -- Student housingen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshLGBTQ+ people -- Stellenbosch (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshIntersectionality (Sociology) -- Stellenbosch (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSocial constructionism -- Stellenbosch (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCritical race theory -- Stellenbosch (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshHegemony -- Stellenbosch (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshStudents, Black -- Stellenbosch (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.titleNavigating life in Stellenbosch University men's residences: the experiences of black queer students.en_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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