Browsing by Author "Kotze, Esté"

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    Perspectives on masculinity, femininity and the South African military : gender relations with specific focus on the impact of the South African Army Women’s College and the SADF (1971-1998).
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-12) Kotze, Esté; Nasson, William R.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African Army Women’s College (1971 – 1998) has largely been ignored by many books that have been written about the history of the South African Defence Force. It is necessary to investigate why this institution’s history has been ignored, despite its relevance as marking the first time that women were accepted into the Permanent Force of the SADF; let alone the roles played many women in other aspects of the SADF. Female participation in conflict is often reduced to the roles of either victim or caring nurse, despite many examples to the contrary. This thesis seeks to address the ways in which women have been integrated into the military context in the past and how the presence of women has affected notions surrounding gender norms in the strongly masculine world of the military. The experiences of the women of SAAWCOL as women in the male-dominated world of the military will be examined in particular as a window into the larger context of the SADF. This will be achieved by examining four main aspects. These are, firstly, looking at what gender norms are and how they are created and maintained in the military; secondly, the history of women’s roles in various military engagements in South African history; thirdly, the formation and history of SAAWCOL during this period; and finally, the lived experiences of women who entered into the ‘man’s world’ of the SADF.