Abstract
Traditional gender norms associate finances with manhood. Unemployment strips men of their financial security, dignity and reputation. Therefore, joblessness becomes burdensome for men because money is an ideological tool that confers men as caring figures, and society often judges men based on their financial status. Unemployed Coloured men experience multiple challenges in fulfilling their financial roles as responsible men. The current twenty-five per cent unemployment rate among Coloured men in the Westbury-Coloured township contributes to masculinity in crisis. For many decades Coloured men were denied access to opportunities in economic and political sectors which compelled the youth of Westbury to spien (sell drugs)1 Or become gangsters (Ngcobo 2023). Essentially, masculinities in crisis refers to unemployed Coloured men, born and bred in the violent community of Westbury. These groups of men are required to fulfil expectations of fatherhood and primary providers while grappling with the negative impact of unemployment (Tyawa 2017). This crisis is prevalent on a personal level and community level because unemployment leads to gangsterism, crime and death. For example, over the weekend of 13th of April 2024, ten people were shot, four of them fatally (Ngcobo 2023). In this community, unemployed men create rules on how to be men. This study will use a qualitative research methodology to understand the lived experiences of ten young unemployed coloured men living in the Westbury township.
The findings shed light on Westbury's ‘masculinities in crisis’ phenomenon. It interlinks with Connell’s notion of marginalised masculinity (unemployed, poor men) and Crenshaw's theory of intersectionality, where race, gender and socio-economic status determine a man’s positionality in society. Furthermore, the findings highlight how unemployment contributes to an increased gang violence and drug economy. It intends to explain how the legal and illegal means to earn income could be dangerous for these men and their enemies. Young unemployed men are recruited and lured into various survival mechanisms to earn money in the private and public sectors. Despite the gang violence, the findings highlight that toxic masculinity is not biologically
1 Spien is a slang term for making money commonly known as a side hustle.
inherited, instead, it is adapted and practised due to financial constraints in the Westbury township.