The influence of initiation on male learners’ behaviour in the Amathole East District

Abstract

The customary initiation of adolescent boys into manhood, which usually involves male circumcision, is widely practised around the world, amongst others for religious, health-related, and cultural reasons. This study investigated 12 participants’ perspectives on the effects which initiation rites had on the behaviour of male learners in the Amatole East District of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Initiation rites differ from one ethno-racial and cultural grouping to the next, but here the focus was on Xhosa initiates, and how their initiation influenced their behaviour upon their return to school. The researcher undertook a qualitative study which focused on four secondary schools in Dutywa, with the participants being purposively sampled for the diverse and rich data they could supply: four learners who had undergone initiation, four educators and four tradition leaders, all drawn from the Xhosa community. Guided by the interpretivist approach, the researcher actively interacted with various aspects of the study. In-depth interviews were conducted, after which the data were analysed thematically. Responsible citizenship, respectfulness, the transition to maturity, and the preservation of cultural traditions emerged as themes guiding the expected educational behavioural outcomes of the initiated boys. The findings revealed that the perceptions of the three categories of study participants differed on whether initiation influenced the male learners’ behaviour. Despite there being common responses in respect of the purpose of conducting or participating in such rites – namely to graduate boys into manhood – the educators/teachers reported undesirable behavioural changes on the part of the initiates. A recommendation stemming from the study, is that medically trained personnel participate in circumcisions, which are a key part of Xhosa initiation rites.

Die gebruiklike inisiering van tienerseuns na manlikheid, wat gewoonlik manlike besnyding behels, word wereldwyd beoefen vir onder andere, geloofs-, gesondheids- en kulturele redes. Die studie het 12 deelnemers se perspektiewe op die invloed van inisiasierites op die gedrag van manlike leerders in die Amatole-Oos Distrik van die Oos-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, ondersoek. Inisiasierites verskil van een etno-ras- en kulturele groepering tot die volgende, maar die fokus was op Xhosa-inisiering en hoe hul inisiering hul gedrag beinvloed het toe hulle teruggekeer het skool toe. Die navorser het 'n kwalitatiewe studie onderneem wat op vier sekondêre skole in Dutywa gefokus het, met die deelnemers wat doelbewus gekies is vir die diverse en ryk data wat hulle kan voorsien: vier leerders wat inisiering ondergaan het, vier opvoeders en vier tradisionele leiers, almal uit die Xhosa-gemeenskap. Die navorser het die interpretivistiese benadering gebruik om met verskeie aspekte van die studie om te gaan. Diepgaande onderhoude is gevoer waarna die data tematies ontleed is. Verantwoordelike burgerskap, eerbiedigheid, die oorgang na volwassenheid en die behoud van kulturele tradisies het as temas na vore gekom wat die verwagte opvoedkundige gedraguitkomste van die geinisieerde seuns gelei het. Die bevindings het getoon dat die persepsies van die drie kategoriee van die studiedeelnemers verskil oor of die inisiering die manlike leerders se gedrag beinvloed het. Ondanks die algemene reaksies oor die doel daarvan om aan sulke rites deel te neem – naamlik om seuns in manlikheid te laat gradueer – het opvoeders/onderwysers ongewensde gedragsveranderinge in die geinisieerdes opgemerk. Die studie beveel aan dat personeel wat medies opgelei is in besnydenis, wat 'n sleutelrol in Xhosa-inisieringsrites speel, aan die rites deelneem.

Isiko lokungeniswa kwamakhwenkwe afikisayo ebudodeni elidla ngokubandakanya ulwaluko lwamakhwenkwe lenziwa ngokubanzi kwihlabathi liphela. Eli siko lidla ngokwenzelwa phantsi kwezizathu zonqulo, ezinxulemene nezempilo, kunye nezenkcubeko. Olu phando luphande izimvo zabathathinxaxheba abali12 kwiziphumo zemicimbi yesiko lolwaluko ezithe zakho kwindlela yokuziphatha kwabafundi abangamakhwenkwe kwiMpuma yeSithili iAmathole sePhondo leMpuma Koloni, eMzantsi Afrika. Imicimbi yesiko lolwaluko yahlukile kuleyo yohlanga neyenkcubeko. Nangona kunjalo, olu phando belugxile kumakhwenkwe olukileyo angamaXhosa nokuba ukungeniswa kwawo kubeneziphumo ezinjani kwindlela yokuziphatha xa ebuyele esikolweni. Umphandi wenze uphandontyilazwi obelugxile kwizikolo ezine zamabanga aphezulu, eDutywa. Kolu phando kukhethwe abathathinxaxheba ngendlela yovandlakanyo olunenjongo ukubonelela idatha eyahlukileyo neninzi: abafundi abane abaye bangeniswa, ootitshala abane kunye neenkokheli zemveli ezine, kwaye bonke bathathwe kuluntu lwamaXhosa. Umphandi uye wajongana nemiba eyahlukileyo kolu phando ngokukhokelwe yindlela yokufumana ubunzulu obungakumbi ngokukhangela amava neengcamango zomxholo othile wezentlalo (interpretivist approach). Idatha ihlalutywe ngokohlalutyontyilazwi lomongo emva kokuba kwenziwe udliwanondlebe olunzulu nabathathinxaxheba. Kuye kwavela imixholo ekhokela iziphumo ezilindelekileyo zokuziphatha kwamakhwenkwe angenisiweyo kwezemfundo, efana nobumi obunoxanduva okanye obulawulekayo, ukuba nentlonipho, ukukhula, kunye nokulondolozwa kwamasiko nezithethe zenkcubeko. Iziphumo zibonise ukuba izimvo zala maqela mathathu athathe inxaxheba kuphando zahlukile ekubeni ukungeniswa kubeneziphumo kwindlela yokuziphatha kwabafundi abangamakhwenkwe. Nangona kukho iimpendulo eziqhelekileyo ngokubhekiselele kwinjongo yokwenza okanye ukuthatha inxaxheba kwimicimbi enjalo yesiko neyezithethe - oko kukuthi ukuphumelelisa amakhwenkwe ebudodeni - abafundisintsapho/ootitshala babike utshintsho olungafunekiyo kwindlela yokuziphatha kwicala lamakhwenkwe angenisiweyo okanye olukileyo. Olu phando lucebisa ukuba abasebenzi abaqeqeshwe kwezonyango bathathe inxaxheba kulwaluko noluyinxalenye ephambili kwimicimbi yesiko lokungeniswa okanye lolwaluko kumaXhosa.