Bio:

I am Bapiwe Gobodo a dedicated PhD graduate in Sociology at the University of Stellenbosch, my research focuses on the intricate and often racialised relationship between masculinity and violence. Exploring how masculine ideals shape and influence patterns of violence in the local context, my work seeks to contribute valuable insights to the broader discourse on gender, violence, and societal structures.

Summary/Abstract:

My research examines how young Black men make sense of their experiences as targets of violence and how these experiences shape their understandings of masculinity, belonging, and healing. My work explores how violence functions as an everyday structuring force within township life, shaping social relations, spatial movement, and masculine expectations. My research interrogates dominant narratives that frame young Black men primarily as perpetrators of violence. Instead, I foreground their reflections on vulnerability, responsibility, and alternative pathways to manhood. By centering these perspectives, my work seeks to contribute to broader debates on masculinity, violence, and Black life in South Africa while highlighting everyday practices through which young men pursue dignity, care, and healing.

Email: 23493577@sun.ac.za