Abstract
M.A. (Industrial Sociology)
One of the sources of risk to human life is weather events. Weather conditions form a significant part of daily living. This study sought to emphasise the meaningfulness of personal descriptions used by ordinary women of the Royal Bafokeng Nation to explain the impact of weather conditions on their agricultural activities. The RBN community inhabits a province that is said to contribute significantly toward the South African economy through its agriculture. Both men and women are involved in agricultural activities and the reason that women are believed to be more vulnerable to the effects of weather conditions in non-urban places such as the RBN is that they are more involved in small scale agricultural work and rely more on natural resources for their livelihood as compared to men.
These personal descriptions used to explain the impact of weather conditions on agriculture describe how the RBN women experience their environment. It is evident in the literature that efforts are being made to monitor the effects of and adaptation to extreme weather conditions. There have also been attempts by scholars to evaluate the differences in the cultural and environmental factors that contribute to the varying perceptions and attitudes that people in the wider society have towards weather issues.
A qualitative research methodology was employed to investigate the influence of socio-cultural factors in shaping the perceptions that RBN women have of weather conditions in the RBN community. This enabled the acquirement of detailed information on how factors such as age, class, education, religious beliefs, family structure, social taboos, social norms and values shape the perceptions that RBN women have of the effects of weather conditions on their livelihood. The data was collected through in-depth interviews from 15 women. A purposive sampling strategy was used in conjunction with a snowball technique to find and access the research participants.
This study uses the theory of articulation and the philosophy of praxis to discover women’s construction of meaning regarding weather conditions. It applies the Gramscian theory of praxis, since there is evidence of engaging and exercising ideas learned in previous experiences. Perceptions of weather are, therefore,...