Contemporary South Africans have to contend with both the outcomes of past racial injustices and inequalities as well as present day racial injustices and inequalities which are a direct consequence of the past (Matthews, 2012). This means that they have to face the continuing effects of socially constructed racism which encompassed economic, political, social and institutional actions that systemized and perpetuated unequal distribution of privileges, resources and power between white people and people of colour with a hierarchical motive in mind (DiAngelo, 2010, p.7). It also refers to the fact that the repeal of racist legislature does not automatically result in changes in the habits and attitudes of people and that the “inertial racism of white predominance” continues at advantage white people at both micro and macro levels (Outlaw, 2004, p. 166 in Matthews, 2012). Obvious responses to these past and present injustices are anti-racism movements which encourage people to challenge beliefs about themselves or the ‘other’ groups (hooks, 1997, p. 167). Anti-racism includes thinking and acting with a specific consciousness, self-awareness, knowledge and skill to challenge, interrupt, and eliminate manifestations of racism within one’s sphere of influence (Derman-Sparks & Brunson Phillips, 1997). White anti-racism involves, amongst other things, white people being against the racial denigration of other groups and unlearning internalized domination (DiAngelo, 2006).
This
Caliendo and Mcllwain (2011) have suggested that the historical claims of white supremacy within nations such as the UK and South Africa, has created racial conflicts and segregation between ethnic communities. Relating back to Weber’s example of the caste system, the “authentically white” (Caliendo and Mcllwain, 2011:22) communities are dominant and control the minority communities. Caliendo and Mcllwain (2011) argue that the “authentically white” have increased wealth and status, which they use to create boundaries and exclude the ethnic groups within the community. An example of this would be the issue of Apartheid in South Africa throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth century. Apartheid can be defined by the New Oxford English Dictionary (1998) as “a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on the grounds of race” (Guelke, 2005:61). Throughout the period Guelke (2005) discussed the fact that the minority white communities within South Africa ruled over the black majority, living “a lifestyle with a standard of living matching the very richest countries in the world” (Guelke, 2001:1-2), whilst the black communities lived in extreme poverty. Linking back to the system of monopolistic social closure, the white population viewed themselves as the elite members of society, and via legislation such as the native policy, used their power to justify the exploitation and segregation of the black South African
Thesis Statement: Apartheid may have been a horrible era in South African history, but only so because the whites were forced to take action against the outrageous and threatening deeds of the blacks in order to sustain their power.
The themes of fear, racist social structures and scapegoating are indeed applicable to the wider society of the real world, with another infamous example of social structures promoting racial discrimination and apartheid being the Jim Crow Laws, which were enforced from 1877 to the 1950s. Unfortunately, many people are too conservative and stubborn to look beyond their beliefs, take on a different point of view and put their differences aside to understand one another, which ultimately leads to discrimination against one another. The effect of this is emphasized when people are too afraid to speak out in fear of being punished, as it only allows those who are advocating and participating in racist behaviours are allowed to do so without suffering consequences and fully realizing the implications of their
“Racism is a bad thing, you find it everywhere in the schools, the clubs and also in the streets.”
The convergence of racial unity and inroads towards the non-classification of race has been compromised by the accumulation of rights, privileges, and perceptions of the “whites”, and the life experiences, inequalities and societal impediments of the ‘non-white”. These experiences represent an overarching inability to forge ahead without cognizant realizations of past injustices and reparation for past aggressions. Noting the attempts at racial reunification in South Africa and the redress of exclusionary policies existing within the
In this journal article, Xolela talks about the problem of racism rising not only in the United States but also in the country of South Africa. Xolela talks about the election of Donald Trump and how him wanting to get rid of immigrants is not because of his hatred for Hispanics, but this is a way of justifying racism for white priveledge. Xoxlela also touches upon the topics of the transition from religious racism to the use of skin color to create slavery after it became harder and harder for Christians to justify slavery amongst themselves. Xolela’s argument is that if people understand the ways racism developed through history and how it continues to grow we can draw intersectional solidarities to stop it. This article will support my
During the apartheid in South Africa, those being oppressed had very few choices, to silently take the oppression, to revolt, or to kiss up to the colonists. In the town of Soweto students chose to revolt against the oppression, because of this many lives were lost but the events of that day helped to forever free South Africa. From the writings of Steve Biko, we know that he fully agree with the students decided to revolt. He wanted to unify South Africa against the oppressor.
In the United States and internationally, there is a multitude of indicators that the racial environment is changing. Environmental pollution and racism are connected in more ways than one. The world is unconsciously aware of environmental intolerances, yet continues to expose the poor and minorities to physical hazards. Furthermore, sociologist continue to study “whether racial disparities are largely a function of socioeconomic disparities or whether other factors associated with race are also related to the distribution of environmental hazards” (Mohai and Saha 2007: 345). Many of these factors include economic positions, health disparities, social and political affairs, as well as racial inequalities.
First, in “Cry, the Beloved Country”, racism is seen in many different ways, but one example is through political power. The white community is the leading group in South Africa’s government, so they have the ability to write laws and marginalize the black community. Because of this, blacks are treated unfairly, forced to follow unjust laws, and targeted by police. This all started when the white men colonized the country and took over without regards to the black’s way of life. “It suited the white man to break the tribe, [Msimangu] continues gravely. But it has not suited him
Apartheid, the strict division between white and colored people, for South Africans has always been a big issue. The man who stopped difficult ways of life for people and communities in South Africa was also their president, Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was a man who put his life on the line to bring people together. He was involved with organizations that would eventually help to end apartheid throughout his life and lead countless amounts of peaceful acts that put an end to this divide. Mandela was even arrested for what he was trying to accomplish. It was difficult, but once he was released from prison, he finished what he and many others had started, he put a stop to apartheid. Nelson Mandela caused for apartheid to be
Have you ever wondered how it would feel to be considered inferior because of your race? The people of South Africa had to endure racial inferiority during the era of apartheid. The apartheid laws the government of South Africa made led to an unequal lifestyle for the blacks and produced opposition.
Many of the contemporary issues in South Africa can easily be associated with the apartheid laws which devastated the country. The people of South Africa struggle day by day to reverse “the most cruel, yet well-crafted,” horrific tactic “of social engineering.” The concept behind apartheid emerged in 1948 when the nationalist party took over government, and the all-white government enforced “racial segregation under a system of legislation” . The central issues stem from 50 years of apartheid include poverty, income inequality, land ownership rates and many other long term affects that still plague the brunt of the South African population while the small white minority still enjoy much of the wealth, most of the land and opportunities
In this thesis the writer “J.Matisonn” writes about how the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) not only addressed issues of crimes against humanity that also affected the Human rights of people but the other thing the TRC did well if anything according to this article it that it also addressed those people , organizations and even institutions who used media and propaganda in order to not only further the cause of the Apartheid government but to hurt so many families and relatives in the process.
This literature review will focus on civil society and its relation to the state in South Africa.
opinion of how the country works as he grew up, and when he was 16 the