Ethnic Unbonding in South Africa Essay

Manuel Castells notion of heathen unbonding refers to the gradual separation authoritative African-Americans are undergoing, so that they no longer are a member of their initial heathen assembly. pagan unbonding is a process where some unmatcheds discharge themselves from their heathen groups, because they are either ashamed or humiliated to be associated as part of a stigmatized social individuation. So, race matters a lot. But, at the same time, the class divide among blacks has created such fundamentally different life-time conditions that there is growing hostility among the poor against those former br separates that left them out. just close to middle-class blacks strive to shake up ahead not only from the world of the ghetto, still 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 personal identity that revives the themes of the past, African or American, while property silent on the plight of the present Castell, M p.57. Manuel Castell raises cognizance to the concomitant that black South Africans are gradually disassociating themselves from their original ethnic identities. ( calamitous South Africans refers to the non-white case-by-cases of South Africa, those who were disadvantaged and traduced in the native lands 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 lifestyle. Parents require a better life for the children and they find that to live a better type lifestyle one commands 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 vitiate risking the loss of their achievements. Ethnic performances are rarely practised and individuals lose potful of where they come from.In the last two decades, geographers consent become super interested in the issue of ethnicity. Ethnic groups are found in essentially all societies. Ethnic groups are universes that feel a putting green bond and turn over a sense of common origin that distinguishes them from separate groups. Religion, language, national origin, and skin colour are all apply to assorted degrees by ethnic groups to distinguish themselves from others. It is estimated that the 200 or so indie countries recognized by the United Nations are made up of about 5000 ethnic groups.Increased migration of hatful in the last 200 long time has produced a complex pattern of ethnic groups. Essentially, ethnicity is a spatial concept. Ethnic group s are associated with clearly recognized territories, either some large homeland district or some smaller urban or hoidenish enclaves in which they are the primary or exclusive occupant. In addition, they have somehow marked these places with certain distinguished heathenish signs. (http//teacherweb. ftl. pinecrest. edu/snyderd/APHG/Unit%203/culturenotes. htm).Ethnicity is well-disposedly substantial. It gives certain individuals a feeling of belonging and prevents one from feeling obscure and alone. It contributes immensely to ones core identity, focusing mostly on the construction of ones personal identity, and in turn having an operation 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 speciality which can be built from the diverse ethnic resources present in South Africa.It brings together a national identity. Afrikaners historically considered themselves the on ly aline South Africans and, while granting full citizenship to all residents of European descent, denied that status to muckle 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 anaesthetic and secondary ancestral identity is prevalent among nation of Indian descent.The Bantu-speaking black plentys have long regarded themselves as South African in spite of 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 consequential component of identity. National identity comes first for all black people, but belonging to an ethnic, linguistic, and regional grouping and even to an ances tral clan has an important secondary status.(http//www. everyculture. com/Sa-Th/South-Africa. html). As a endpoint of years of racial separation 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 lowbrow individuals. White people were entirely prejudiced against the black people. Prejudice is a judgment based on group membership or social status. Prejudice may be create through both individual and group influences including socialization, rationalizing through stereotypes, the scapegoating process, reinforcement of a self-fulfilling prophecy ramification of an oppressive personality and degree of contact with minority groups. http//www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php.How black ethnic groups emerged? beingness 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 gum olibanum 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. Residents of these areas were forced to qu ite a little 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 rottenness 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 unhinge 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 better their standards of backup. The stigmas attached to certain ethnic groups are undesirable and individuals are apprehensive 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 their ethnic groups. Th e 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 sure 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 more modernized culture, with less practices and more simplicity. Cultural identity is a victim of globalisation. Culture is being altered so much by globalization and media effects that soon the culture will transform into something completely different. match to Tomlinson, J. p. 23 states that it is fair to say that the impact of globalization in the cultural sphere has, most generally, been viewed in a pes simistic 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 take place 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 as yet maintain a part of their ethnicity.Lifestyles can be adjusted so that some form of their religion and culture is integrated into their ev eryday 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).