Gendered naming and values attached to amaXhosa Amakrwala (Graduate-initiates)

Abstract

This paper is based on a study that explored the gendered naming and values attached to the amaXhosa amakrwala, and the kind of behaviour expected from them after being ‘declared men’. Drawing from an empirical study that sought to understand the conceptual underpinnings of the practice, the paper presents the perceptual voices of both the graduate initiates and name-givers. The study was qualitative in nature and the participants were selected purposefully. Interviews of 40-50 minutes were conducted in the isiXhosa language which was the mother tongue of the respondents. The data was collected from10 graduate-initiates, 4 male name-givers and 2 female name-givers. The results revealed that the names given to amaXhosa graduate-initiates reflected social identity, values and social expectations.