Senior women managers' experiences of singlism in the South African Public Service: an afrocentric and feminist-phenomelogy perspective

Abstract

The study explored how single women experienced singlism, through an Afrocentric and feminist-phenomenology intersectionality. It further examined how single women in senior management experienced the South Africa public sector work environment with all their other roles. The literature review revealed the extent of existing related research; the definition of key terms emerged, and the findings of the study were integrated with existing information. Further, single women’s formative years were contextualised through socialisation within a patriarchal African culture, with strong views on masculinity and femininity. The research investigated dominant and influential role models and circumstances that shaped single women’s worldview. It explored experiences of singlism in society and at work. The conclusions identified links to childhood experiences and adult choices. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews with participants. Themes and sub-themes were developed from the data collected through the in-depth interviews. The main contribution of this study is on expansion of singlism as also an embodiment of positive attributes based on single women perspectives. METHOD: The Afrocentrism and feminist phenomenology paradigms were adopted for this study. In-depth interviews were used for data collection. The data analysis was achieved through identifying themes and deriving trends from shared experiences. FINDINGS: Singleness is a conscious choice; independent, ambitious women value their freedom; the public service is experienced as hostile to single women; enablers for single women include family, domestic helpers, and boarding schools; single women are determined to shape a better future for women in the public service. Recommendations were made about improvements and relevant future research on the same or similar topics.

Uphandonzulu luphonononge indlela amabhinqa angatshatanga azakha ngayo izazisi zabo kunye nendlela abafumane ngayo amava okungatshati ngokuhlanganisa indlela yaseAfrika kunye nobubhinqa befinomeloji. Luqhube lwaphonononga okanye lwavavanya indlela amabhinqa angabaphathi abaphezulu abangatshatanga eMzantsi Afrika abave ngayo amava kubume bomsebenzi wecandelo likarhulumente laseMzantsi Afrika nayo yonke eminye imisebenzi yabo. Uphengululo loncwadi ludundubalise ubungakanani bophandonzulu olukhoyo olunxulumene nolu; iinkcazelo zamagama angundoqo eziye zavela, kunye neziphumo zophandonzulu eziye zandindaniswa okanye zaxokonyezelwa kulwazi osele lukho. Kwakhona, iminyaka yokukhula yabasetyhini abangatshatanga iqondwe ngokwemeko yokuhlalisana (socialisation) phakathi kwenkcubeko yeembono ezinamandla zobudoda kunye nobufazi. Uphandonzulu luphonononge izibonelelo (role models) ezibalaseleyo nezinefuthe kwiimeko ezibumbe umbono wehlabathi basetyhini abangatshatanga. Iphonononge amava okungatshati kuluntu okanye entlalweni nasemsebenzini. Izigqibo eziphawuliweyo zenze amakhonkco kumava obuntwana kunye nezigqibo zabantu abadala. Uqokolelwo lwedatha lwenziwe ngodliwanondlebe olunzulu nabathathinxaxheba. Imixholo nemixholwana iphuhliwe kwidatha eqokolelweyo ngodliwanondlebe olunzului. INDLELA YOPHANDONZULU: Indlela yaseAfrika nobubhinqa befinomenoloji ziye zamkelwa kuphandonzulu lwalo msebenzi. Udliwanondlebe olunzulu luye lwasetyenziswa ukuqokolela idatha. Uhlalutyonzulu lwedatha luye lwaphunyezwa ngokuchonga imixholo nokuzuza iintsingiselo kumava ekwabelwana ngawo. IZIPHUMO: Ukungatshati lukhetho olusengqiqweni; abafazi abazimeleyo nabanamabhongo bayayixabisa inkululeko yabo; inkonzo yoluntu inentiyo kubafazi abangatshatanga; izinto ezinceda amabhinqa angatshatanga ziquka usapho, abancedisi basekhaya, nezikolo ekuhlalwa kuzo; abasetyhini abangatshatanga bazimisele ukubumba ikamva elingcono labasetyhini kwinkonzo karhulumente. Iingcebiso zenziwe malunga nokuphuculwa kunye nophandonzulu olufanelekileyo lwexesha elizayo kwizihloko ezifanayo okanye ezibusondela kwezi.

Patlisiso e e sekaseka ka moo basadi bao ba sa nyalwang ba bopileng maitshupo a bone gammogo le mokgwa oo ba itemogelang tlhophololo malebana le bofetwa ka go dirisa ntlhakemo ya seAforika le marakanelo a fenomenoloji ya sesadi. E tswelela ka go tlhatlhoba ka moo basadi bao ba sa nyalwang bao ba leng mo botsamaisi-bogolwaneng ba itemogelang madirelo a ditirelo tsa setšhaba a Aforika Borwa gammogo le ditiro dingwe tsa bone. Tshekatsheko ya dibuka e supile bokgakala jwa patlisiso tse di fitlhelegang jaanong; tlhagelelo ya ditlhaloso tsa mareo a a botlhokwa; le ka moo diphitlhelelo tsa patlisiso di tsenngwang mo tshedimosetsong e e fitlhelegang jaanong. Mo godimo ga se, dingwaga tsa kgolo tsa basadi bao ba sa nyalwang di ne tsa sekasekwa ka tiriso ya molebo wa tlhakano-le-bangwe mo setsong sa seAforika se se supang monna jaaka tlhogo, mme ebile se na maikutlo a a tseneletseng ka ga bonna le bosadi. Patlisiso e e dirile dipatlisiso ka ga dinna-le-seabe tse di laolang le tse di tlhotlheletsang gammogo le maemo ao a bopileng tebo ya lefatshe ya basadi bao ba sa nyalwang. E sekaseka le maitemogelo a tlhophololo malebana le bofetwa mo setšhabeng le kwa tirong. Dintlha tsa bokhutlho di supa dikgokagano tsa maitemogelo a bone a bongwana gammogo le ditlhopho tsa bone mo bogolong jwa bone. Kokoanyo ya tshedimosetso e dirilwe ka mokgwa wa go botsolotsa batsayakarolo dipotso tse di tseneletseng. Ditlhogo le ditlhogwana di tlhamilwe go tswa kwa tshedimosetsong e e kokoantsweng go tswa kwa dipotsolotsong tse di tseneletseng. MOKGWA: Ntlhakemo ya seAforika gammogo le sesupo sa fenomenoloji ya sesadi di ne tsa tlhotšhwa go dirisetswa patlisiso e. Dipotsolotso tse di tseneletseng di ne tsa diriswa mo kokoanyong ya tshedimosetso. Thanolo ya tshedimosetso e fitlheletswe ka go supa ditlhogo le ka go fitlhelela mekgwa e e tswang kwa maitemogelong a a tshwanang. DIPHITLHELELO: Go se nyalwe ke tlhopho e e simololang mo tlhaloganyong; basadi ba ba nang le ditoro ebile ba kgona go ka itlhokomela ba rata kgololosego ya bone; madirelo a ditirelo tsa setšhaba a masisi go basading bao ba sa nyalwang; bakgontshi ba basadi bao ba sa nyalwang ba akaretsa lelapa, bathusi ba kwa lelapeng le dikolo tse di nang le bonno; basadi bao ba sa nyalwang ba ikemiseditse go ka bopa bokamoso jo bo tokafetseng jwa basadi mo madirelong a ditirelo tsa setšhaba. Dikatlanegiso di dirilwe ka ga ditokafatso le dipatlisiso tse di maleba tsa ditlhogo tse kgotsa tse di tshwanang le tse mo isagong.