Bantu ethnic group native to Southern Africa, primarily the country of Zimbabwe where they form a vast majority.
Published in Chapter:
Challenging Norms Supportive of Violence: Gender-Driven Interventions
Obediah Dodo (Bindura University, Zimbabwe)
Copyright: © 2020
|Pages: 16
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-2815-0.ch007
Abstract
Norms have a contribution in determining violence: how it starts, is unleashed, and its effect on the entirety of the society. They are important in moulding the behaviours of the people. However, they may be problematic and instigate violence. Realising an upsurge in violence emanating from some of the norms in Zimbabwean cultures, the study sought to understand all the various forms of norms, their functionalities, and how they influence violence before seeking to craft means of challenging them. The study is guided by the social norms approach. The study found out that social and cultural norms have over a period grown to define most societies' ways of life. However, there are elements that always try to create conflicts. To attend to the disruptive elements, there are interventions that may be applied to challenge some of these norms, usually combined with other methods, legislation and policies, education, adoption of contemporary world standards, communication, and inclusive lobbying and advocacy, among others.