Angisafuni Ukuba Indoda, an Ethnographic Exploration of Masculinities: The Case of Gender-Based Violence, Rape, Suicide, and Depression in Men in South African, Johannesburg.

Sipho Mackenzie, University of Johannesburg

South African masculinities have shown a crisis of expression in their stats of gender-based violence and suicide. There seems to be a paradox of expression where the men are perpetrators (violent) and victims (suicide) of their suppressed forms of expression. The concept of Indoda Ayikhali iyaqinisela is used within Black masculinities and this desirable male identity expects men to always portray a strong image because of their role as heads of their families. This study explores the concepts femininity and masculinity in relation to tear construction to challenge cultural and societal notions that suppress men’s emotionality. I will argue the latter through the Social Constructivism of South African Masculinities and Meditated Masculinities through drag theoretical frameworks that expose the constructions of masculinities. The required outcomes are to find solutions to the gender based violence, rape that do not include when the atrocity has been committed and suicide in men.