Balancing the scales of gender and culture in contemporary South Africa

This chapter presents an overview of relevant aspects regarding gender and culture in the South African context to provide context-specific societal and organisational insights. This work is based on a review of current literature and the latest empirical work on gender and culture conducted by the authors. First, theoretical approaches to gender and culture from a historical perspective in South Africa are introduced. Next, concepts of gender, culture and race within contemporary, democratic post-apartheid South Africa are discussed as a prelude to the demonstration of the gender transformation in the South African workforce. The relationship between gender and culture in various South African organisations, such as industrial, ecclesiastical, medical and educational fields, is examined to provide an understanding of gender stereotypes and the changing work identity of women in the South African workplace. We focus in particular on the impact of gender and culture dynamics on health and well-being, as well as strategies organisations employ to facilitate gender equity and female empowerment. This will provide information and new ideas into related areas of research, presenting practical insights into gender and culture, after which a conclusion, the theoretical and practical implications and future research options will be presented.