Ethnic Unbonding in South Africa Essay

Manuel Castells notion of paganal unbonding refers to the gradual disengagement plastered African-Americans are undergoing, so that they no longer are a member of their initial social convention. heathen unbonding is a process where man-to-man(a)s pull back themselves from their ethnic groups, because they are either ashamed or humiliated to be associated as part of a stigmatized ethnic individuation. So, race matters a lot. But, at the same time, the class divide among blacks has created such fundamentally different alive conditions that there is growing hostility among the poor against those former br new(prenominal)s that left them out. well-nigh middle-class blacks strive to modernise ahead not only from the truth of the ghetto, scarce from the stigma that echoes from the dying ghetto project on them through their skin. They do so particularly, by insulating their children from the poor black communities (moving to suburbs, integrating them into white-dominated p rivate schools), while, at the same time, reinventing an African-American identity that revives the themes of the past, African or American, while keeping silent on the plight of the present Castell, M p.57.Manuel Castell raises cognizance to the event that black South Africans are gradually disassociating themselves from their original ethnic identities. ( scandalous South Africans refers to the non-white individuals of South Africa, those who were disadvantaged and traduced in the m otherlands during the Apartheid regime). These ethnic unbonding patterns were first detect among African-Americans and now South Africans too are gradually adopting them.Citizens split from their ethnic groups to mainly better their lives, since being a part of a stigmatized ethnic group cannot ensure a successful and pleasant invigorationstyle. Parents command a better life for the children and they find that to live a better theatrical role lifestyle angiotensin-converting enzyme extremitys to firstly get an education. So they get a good education and become a success in life only to put their stigmatized ethnic background behind them, to ward off risking the loss of their achievements. Ethnic performances are rarely practised and individuals lose fortune of where they come from.In the last two decades, geographers book become extremely interested in the issue of ethnicity. Ethnic groups are found in essentially all societies. Ethnic groups are worlds that feel a common bond and contract a sense of common origin that distinguishes them from other groups. Religion, language, national origin, and skin colour are all utilize to non-homogeneous degrees by ethnic groups to distinguish themselves from others. It is estimated that the 200 or so free- vivification countries recognized by the United Nations are made up of just about 5000 ethnic groups.Increased migration of flock in the last 200 long time has produced a complex pattern of ethnic groups. Essentially, e thnicity is a spatial concept. Ethnic groups are associated with clearly recognized territories, either some large homeland district or some smaller urban or pastoral enclaves in which they are the primary or exclusive occupant. In addition, they have somehow marked these places with certain distinguished heathen signs. (http//teacherweb. ftl. pinecrest. edu/snyderd/APHG/Unit%203/culturenotes. htm).Ethnicity is companionablely fundamental. It gives certain individuals a feeling of belonging and prevents one from feeling separated and alone. It contributes immensely to ones core identity, focusing mostly on the construction of ones personal identity, and in turn having an picture on the type of person an individual turns out to be in the future. It forms the basis of an individuals structure and agency. Ethnicity also promotes national force out which can be built from the diverse ethnic resources present in South Africa.It brings together a national identity. Afrikaners his torically considered themselves the only uncoiled South Africans and, while granting full citizenship to all residents of European descent, denied that status to commonwealth of colour until the democratic transition of 1994. British South Africans retain a sense of cultural and social connection to Great Britain without weakening their identity as South Africans. A similar concept of primary local anesthetic and secondary ancestral identity is prevalent among population of Indian descent.The Bantu-speaking black plentys have long regarded themselves as South African disrespect the attempts of the white authorities to classify them as less than full citizens or as citizens of ethnic homelands (Bantustans) between 1959 and 1991. Strong cultural loyalties to African languages and local political structures such as the kingdom and the chieftaincy remain an Copernican component of identity. National identity comes first for all black people, but belonging to an ethnic, linguistic , and regional grouping and even to an ancestral clan has an important secondary status.(http//www. everyculture. com/Sa-Th/South-Africa. html). As a force of years of racial time interval and discrimination, the majority of South African citizens of which are black, have been severely abuse based on the colour of their skin. A race is a population that shares visible physical characteristics from inbreeding and that thinks of itself or is thought of by outsiders as distinct. It has been used by societies to justify poor treatment of minority groups ( http//www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php).For decades black people have been slandered and stereotyped by the white superior citizens, to be artless individuals. White people were entirely blemishd against the black people. Prejudice is a judgment based on group membership or social status. Prejudice may be make through both individual and group influences including socialization, rationalizing through stereotypes, the scapegoating process, reinforcement of a self-fulfilling prophecy ramification of an supercilious personality and degree of contact with minority groups. http//www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php.How black ethnic groups emerged? world ethnic is relating to or a characteristic of a sizable group of people sharing a common and distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic or cultural heritage. (http//www. thefreedictionary. com. ) Just like the trends in America, black citizens of South Africa formed groups based on commonalities. These people shared hardships and sufferings, as a result of being excluded from having any opportunities and privileges, by the white superiorities.The white citizens undermined the black citizens for centuries and therefore blacks were forced to form close relationships with one another based on the fact that they had common deprivations. Bantustans were formed in South Africa and these areas were wastelands of hardship. Resident s of these areas were forced to pile with struggle and poverty thus leading to an increase in abomination rate. People did what they could to survive. Stealing, drug dealing etc. all the forms of violence and decadence exploded from these areas.Put a group of homeless and poor people together and what do you get? Chaos. White people were aware of the overthrow in the homelands and ever since then stereotypes were given to black people. What provoked ethnic unbonding? Ethnic unbonding is when individuals from an ethnic group break away from their core cultural identity and instead pursue an identity of their own. Individuals mainly do this to alter their standards of living. The stigmas attached to certain ethnic groups are undesirable and individuals are cowardly of being part of these unpleasant stereotypes.Certain groups especially ethnic groups have harsh associations linked to them and for these people to improve their quality of life they need to detach themselves from th eir ethnic groups. The negativity one receives from being part of a stigmatized ethnic group for some is too much to handle. People want to be freed from the harmful judgements of the past, and thus completely detaching themselves from their core ethnic identity is the best way out.Race and ethnicity are central to America, as to other societies dynamics their manifestations seem to be deeply altered by ongoing social trends. (Castells, 1997 53). Globalisation affects peoples choices on being or not being part of an ethnic group. Westernization transforms certain cultures and moulds them into a to a greater extent modernized culture, with less practices and more simplicity. Cultural identity is a dupe of globalisation. Culture is being altered so much by globalization and media effects that soon the culture will transform into something completely different. check to Tomlinson, J. p. 23 states that it is fair to say that the impact of globalization in the cultural sphere has, m ost generally, been viewed in a pessimistic light. Typically, it has been associated with the destruction of cultural identities, victims of the accelerating encroachment of a homogenized, westernized, consumer culture. Conclusion Ethnic unbonding is inevitable. Every single individual wants a decent lifestyle and a decent life is one with no racial, gender or ethnic inequalities.Ethnic unbonding will come to to take place in South Africa as well as the rest of the world, because the desire for one to have an improved standard of living exceeds the desire to want to belong to an ethnic area. Castells concept of ethnic unbonding is a notion unknowingly practiced amongst the people of South Africa. Castell believes that individuals belonging to certain ethnic groups are developing boundaries within themselves. However, I think that people can still live a better life and to date maintain a part of their ethnicity.Lifestyles can be adjusted so that some form of their religion and cu lture is integrated into their everyday life and not forgotten. Future generations might be at risk of neer knowing exactly where they come from, and being clueless about their ethnic and cultural heritage. 1. Castells, Manuel. 1997. The power of identity. Cambridge, MA. Blackwell, 52-59 2. Tomlinson, John. Globalization and cultural identity http//www. polity. co. uk/global/pdf/gtreader2etomlinson. pdf(12September 2011) 3.Definitions of race, prejudice and discrimination http//www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php (12September 2011) 4. Countries and their Culture South Africa http//www. everyculture. com/Sa-Th/South-Africa. html (12September 2011) 5. THE GLOBALIZATION OF CULTURE, AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF distinction RACE, ETHNICITY & GENDER http//teacherweb. ftl. pinecrest. edu/snyderd/APHG/Unit%203/culturenotes. htm (12September 2011) 6. Definition of Ethnic http//www. thefreedictionary. com (12September 2011).