Wearing masks : an investigation of generational differences between Zulu adolescents and their parents in the Durban region from the adolescents' perspective

dc.contributor.advisorKlopper, R.M.
dc.contributor.authorMbatha, Khulekani Clifton
dc.date.accessioned2010-05-25T11:44:11Z
dc.date.available2010-05-25T11:44:11Z
dc.date.issued2003
dc.descriptionA thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Communication Science at the University of Zululand, 2003.en_US
dc.description.abstractIn this study I investigated generational differences between urban Zulu adolescents in the Durban region and their parents or guardians in order to determine whether there is, as it was popularly known in the nineteen seventies, a generation gap between children and their parents. My research entailed a literature survey phase in which I analysed academic literature relating to the socialization of adolescents, the socio-political climate in which present-day Zulu parents grew up under the now gone Apartheid system and the socio-economic climate in which the present generation or urban Zulu adolescents have grown up since the introduction of the new democratic dispensation in South Africa in 1994. The stark socio¬political difference in landscapes in which parents and their children have grown up leads one to hypothesise that there would a generation gap between present-day urban Zulu adolescents and their parents. The empirical part of my research tests the va¬lidity of the before-mentioned generation gap hypothesis. I how¬ever prefer to think of serious generational differences as children WEARING MASKS in the presence of their parents. Instances where children and parents do not discuss specific topics could be seen as both parties wearing masks. Instances where they strongly disagree or agree to respectfully disagree, while signifying genera¬tional differences could not be seen as wearing masks. The major findings of my research is that there are clear indica¬tions of generational differences between my respondents and their parents with regard to matters like the interpretation of 1. current affairs and 2. political matters, but not with regard to 1. music taste, 2. adolescent friendships, 3. perceptions about the HIV/AIDS pandemic or 4. religious be¬liefs. My conclusion therefore is that while generational differ¬ences do exist, Zulu adolescents and their parents in the Durban region in fact are not wearing masks when interacting with one another.en_US
dc.identifier.other269370
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10530/295
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectZulu (African people)--Family relationshipsen_US
dc.subjectIntergenerational relations--South Africa--Durbanen_US
dc.subjectConflict of generations--South Africa--Durbanen_US
dc.titleWearing masks : an investigation of generational differences between Zulu adolescents and their parents in the Durban region from the adolescents' perspectiveen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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