Gender and honour in middle-class Cape Town : the making of colonial identities, 1828-1850
This study comprises an examination of the role of ideas concerning gender roles and respectability in the elaboration of a specific notion of a white colonial middle class in Cape Town, Cape Colony, in the decades before the establishment of Representative Government at the Cape. It pays particular attention to the cultural interaction of the incoming British settlers with the older Dutch society already in place in Cape Town. The insertion of British middle-class ideals of domesticity into Cape society had a decisive impact upon the public culture which would underpin the new political dispensation in the colony when a Representative Assembly was set up in 1853. The thesis argues that the new colonial political order which was enshrined in the constitution of 1853 was grounded upon a new gender order which set out distinctive roles for middle-class men and women and which allowed for the expression of a particular kind of personal and social respectability. Political developments in the Cape colony were thus inextricably tied to the elaboration of this new gendered social system. The thesis approaches the question of white colonial identity through several avenues. These include: the creation of a public
McKenzie, Kirsten Elizabeth
History of Africa ; Social anthropology ; Social Sciences ; South Africa ; Cape Town ; Sex ; Gender ; customs ; social life ; 19th century history ; middle-class
Gender and honour in middle-class Cape Town : the making of colonial identities, 1828-1850. This study comprises an examination of the role of ideas concerning gender roles and respectability in the elaboration of a specific notion of a white colonial middle class in Cape Town, Cape Colony, in the decades before the establishment of Representative Government at the Cape. It pays particular attention to the cultural interaction of the incoming British settlers with the older Dutch society already in place in Cape Town. The insertion of British middle-class ideals of domesticity into Cape society had a decisive impact upon the public culture which would underpin the new political dispensation in the colony when a Representative Assembly was set up in 1853. The thesis argues that the new colonial political order which was enshrined in the constitution of 1853 was grounded upon a new gender order which set out distinctive roles for middle-class men and women and which allowed for the expression of a particular kind of personal and social respectability. Political developments in the Cape colony were thus inextricably tied to the elaboration of this new gendered social system. The thesis approaches the question of white colonial identity through several avenues. These include: the creation of a public
gender honour middle_class cape town make colonial identity study comprise examination role idea concern gender_role respectability elaboration specific notion white colonial middle_class cape town cape colony establishment representative government cape pay_particular_attention cultural_interaction incoming british settler older dutch society already place cape town insertion british middle_class ideal domesticity cape society decisive impact_upon public culture would underpin new political dispensation colony representative assembly set argues new colonial political order enshrine constitution ground upon new gender order set distinctive role middle_class men_woman allow expression particular_kind personal_social respectability political_development cape colony thus inextricably tie elaboration new gendered social_system approach_question white colonial identity several avenue include creation public