Poster #181 - Urban and Rural Parents: An Ethnographic Inquiry into Zulu Parenting and the Role of Culture

• In Event: 2-163 - Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Section - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Integrative Statement

Introduction
Parenting beliefs and behaviors are shaped by culture (Goodnow, Miller, & Kessel, 1995; Smetana, 1994). Parenting research is dominated by cultures characterized by Eastern (collectivist, interdependent, e.g., Asian countries) versus Western (individualistic, independent, e.g., US, UK) values (Wang & Tamis-LeMonda, 2003). There is a paucity of research on parenting in African countries and cultures, and existing research primarily uses paradigms from Western research to describe African parenting (e.g., Grainger, Mills, & Sibanda, 2009; Dawson, 2018). The current study aims to understand parenting among Zulu people from their own perspective, including parenting values and goals as they define them.

Zulu people are loyal to their culture and traditions; these ancient beliefs inform parenting values, including their intergenerational transmission. The traditions also create a unique physical, social, and political environment. In colonial days, Zulu men were the head of household in charge of discipline, while mothers performed all actual caregiving (Odetola and Ademola, 1985). This study aims to understand the current parenting values of two groups of Zulu parents, from urban and rural settings. The research questions are: 1) Where do these current Zulu parenting values originate? 2) How are they passed on between generations?

Methods
This study employed a social constructivist epistemology, as the goal is to understand parenting through the eyes and lived experiences of parents and elders. Although data were collected using interview methods consistent with grounded theory, this study employs an ethnographic approach in analyzing a subset of data so that initial findings are properly contextualized for an international audience.

Purposive sampling and snowballing were used to get participant parents (mothers/grandmothers) raising school age children (7 to 13 years). The child age period was chosen because it is when Zulu parents start to socialize children about group norms and cultural expectations.

A female Zulu researcher conducted all the interviews in both isiXhosa and isiZulu (local vernacular), while an American research assistant conducted the recordings and environmental observations. Data were collected from 67 participants across three sites in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The findings reported here come from a subsection of that data. The current study draws from 10 mothers and two elders across the two sites in KwaZulu-Natal. Interview questions were asked in a semi-structured way to make sure the thematic content was the same for all sites and facilitate reliability in the procedure. The interviews will be transcribed and coded for themes. Two fluent Zulu speakers will transcribe and translate the data and cross check for reliability.

Preliminary Results
1. Common cultural values emerge with regard to family structure, conceptualization of family, reverence for tradition, and common parenting values including respect (hlonipha), discipline (isiyalo), and culture (isiko).
2. Generational and environmental differences are most robust, with changes happening rapidly in the environment leading to the biggest difference between generational values.
3. Environmental differences include physical, social, political, and economic factors. Due to the pervasive and all-encompassing effects of colonialism and apartheid on South Africa, socio-historical factors are also conceptualized as environmental factors.

Authors

• Nokwanda Ndlovu, Michigan State University
  Presenting Author

• Claire Vallotton, Michigan State University
  Non-Presenting Author