Respect is important to every ethnic group regardless of how it is shown. As a girl from the Venda group, one of the ways I was taught to show respect was a ritual performed when greeting or serving elders and guests. This ritual requires you, as the young lady in the house, to lay on the ground with one hand cupped and the other in the cupped one. This ritual and form of greeting is unique to the Venda people. However, this ritual is not one sided. The other party/parties may acknowledge you by putting some money in your hand or next you, just to also show respect for your greeting. This is mostly for special events like weddings and family get-togethers. On a non-special day, the lady is acknowledged with only a verbal greeting.

Practicing this ritual for so many years has conditioned me to greet and show respect to others first rather than receiving it first.  

Reflective blog on networks I move through.

Upon my reflection on study unit four, it has come to my attention that networking (making various connections with the people I come across) especially when entering a new season of my life. Entering the season university would not have been possible with out the social networks, first connection being my mom. Without my mom I would not have been able to move in to the residence because I would not have a car to drive my baggage to the residence let alone pay the deposit and registration fee. I would have struggled with the food and clothes on my back. Due to the fact that I am an adult my mom does not have to provide for my need. However, she still does because she loves me. In exchange for the money spent on my tuition, I need to pass my modules and get the degree. I also have show my love for through acts of service.

In this time of life assumptions, otherness and stereotypes are part of our day to day lives. We often put certain people into boxes due to previous exposures with similar factors when we are around these people.  I am more aware of my safety around men as to when I am around women. This assumption is due to my past exposures with men.

As a young girl, I grew up constantly being warned against the dangers of men as well as conversations regarding safety portraying men as the perpetrators. This has led me to be more vigilant around men. In my community, hosting gatherings and parties are a big part of our culture. In a gathering like that, one’s safety can easily be compromised. I have had my safety compromised at one of these gatherings when a man decided he could grab parts of my body that I was not comfortable with. This incident reminds of why I am quick to assume that all men are dangerous.

It is often forgotten that women can also be the perpetrator. I have witnessed a male friend of mine being sexually harassed by a woman before, but due to my assumptions of men, I failed to see that he did not enjoy being touched in that way.

What I have learned from the lectures on otherness and reflecting on my own assumptions about men is that it was wrong of me to villainise them as women are also perpetrators, as well as to not assume things about others before knowing more about them.