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

Abstract

This paper examines a phenomenon called ukufikisana, 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 masculinity, marked by physical power, control, and social authority, while junior boys are relegated to a subordinated masculinity, characterized by enforced submission and vulnerability. The paper draws on data from focus group discussions with 14 teenage boys to explore the sociocultural dynamics of ukufikisana within a high school in a high-risk urban township in South Africa, a setting defined by entrenched poverty, violence, and heteropatriarchal social structures. The findings demonstrate how ukufikisana reinforces hierarchical gender relations and normalises violence as a means of navigating power and identity among boys. These insights underline the urgent need for gender-transformative and non-violent interventions to challenge harmful masculinities and foster equitable school environments.