Becoming ‘Fully a Boy’: Ukufikisana and the Construction of Masculinities in a South African Urban Township High School

Ndumiso Daluxolo Ngidi, Melusi Andile Dlamini, Faculty of Education, University of Forte Hare, East London, South Africa, Department of Anthropology, Rhodes University, South Africa

Men and Masculinities

Published online on March 24, 2025

Abstract

Men and Masculinities, Volume 29, Issue 2, Page 215-235, June 2026.
This paper examines a phenomenon calledukufikisana, a school-related initiation practice where senior boys assert dominance through violence and intimidation over junior boys, shaping two distinct masculine identities. Senior boys embody hegemonic ...