A clear differentiation between race and ethnicity
South Africa has a very diverse and rich cultural nature and therefore has no National Culture. As described on go2africa.com, “Ethnic and cultural assimilation have begun slowly to change this situation, but cultural differences still tend to correspond closely with racial ones, and each ethnic group may be identified with a more or less distinctive culture.” (South African Culture, 2006). “At least 77% of South Africans are Black Africans” ( South African Culture, 2006) There are several different ethnic groups out of them the most popular being: Zulus
A description of the various cultures as well as the races and ethnicities
Zulus’ language is isiZulu and is spoken by about one fourth of the country. Music plays a very large roll in their lives and has influenced many famous muscians. They are also the most visible culturally and politically in South Africa. The Xhosa, who are related to the Zulu through the Nguni, the Swati and the Ndebele are among the other ethinic groups of the Black Africans. The Xhosa are most known for one of their members former president and national hero Nelson Mandela. They live moslty in the Eastern Cape, their culture involves; “…amagqirha (herbalists, prophets and healers), iimbongi (praise singers who write poetry to praise or criticise the chief), and cattle as indicators of wealth.” A couple more important ethnic groups from the Black Africans are the Basotho and the Tswana both descended from the Sotho and have disticnt language and cultures. (South African Culture, 2006).
Coloureds are a mix of Black Africans and (British) Whites. They are so named because of the apartheid regime, as a way a labling them; however, since then they have developed their own distinct culture. They reside mostly in the Northern and Western Cape. About 80% speak Afrikaans and 20% speak English. “The most popular representatives of Cape coloured culture are the Cape minstrels, who parade each year in a musical street celebration that originated in times of colonial slavery.” (South African Culture, 2006)
South African Asians (as well as Indians) are another race and cultural group that make up South Africa. “make up a small but economically influential portion of South Africa’s populace. Most Indians live in Durban and other cities and towns in KwaZulu-Natal. There are also approximately 25,000 Chinese in South Africa, who live mostly in Johannesburg. (South Africa, 2006)
The remainder of the South African population is made up of the Whites and they can be divided into two categories. Speakers of Afrikaan and English speakers. Most all Whit South Africans are united under two things Barbeques and South African spors such as Cricket and rugby.
Examples of discrimination against a culture, race, or ethnic group in this country and an explanation of why the discrimination exists
According to A History of Apartheid, the Afrikaners National Party, gained control over South Africa and in the 1940 developed Apartheid, which was used to make whites the dominating people and to segregate blacks. Laws of the Apartheid were set in 1948. After the bills were passed discrimination became a way of life and was wholy sanctioned by the government. Black South Africans were rounded up and moved to certain areas within they were aloud to travel. “the Population Registration Act required that all South Africans be racially classified into one of three categories: white, black (African), or colored (of mixed decent). The coloured category included major subgroups of Indians and Asians. Classification into these categories was based on appearance, social acceptance, and descent.” (A History of Apartheid, 2006). Black South Africans where given labels and cards that they had to carry so that the police could track their movements. They could only travel in the white areas of town if they had a card that gave them permission to be there, usually this was so that they could work for the white families. As in A History of Apartheid: “All blacks were required to carry ``pass books'' containing fingerprints, photo and information on access to non-black areas.” (2006)
A description of the ways the discrimination has affected the people of this country and conditions that have resulted from the discrimination such as segregation, political unrest, poverty, or war
In Southern Africa, they assumed also specific structures as forced labor, apartheid, and the Rhodesian UDI. As a form of anti-colonial, anti-systemic response to the imposition of those models a specific process of national liberation was developed. It assumed new strategies of anti-colonial and anti-apartheid armed struggle creating, at the same time, specific structures of direct and indirect resistance; of regional and systemic geo-strategies; and of cultural and post-colonial collective identities. (Da Mota Lopez, J, 2005)
The South African began an antiapartheid movement to bring about multiracial government as well as majority rules. Nelson Mendela was a leader in the antiapartheid movement. “As president of the African National Congress and head of South Africa's antiapartheid movement, he was instrumental in moving the nation toward multiracial government and majority rule. He is revered everywhere as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality.” (A Long Walk to Freedom, 1996). The main issues for the South African’s antiapartheid movement were to desegregate and achieve racial equality for all ethnic and racial groups. Although the apartheid is all but abolished, it is still a slow movement to getting a working government that truly represents the entire population of South Africa. Racial tensions are still very prevalent and it will be a long time before true piece holds.
The affects of the apartheid and British rule are still making their changes to the cultural makeup of the country and the impact that they had will be years in the understanding and researching of the effects they wrought on the peoples of South Africa.
References
Da Mota Lopez, J., Colonialism, Liberation, and Structural-Adjustment in the Modern
World-Economy: Mozambique, South Africa, Great Britain, and Portugal and the
Formation of Southern Africa (Before and Under European Hegemony)., 2005.,
Retrieved August 20, 2006 from Proquest
South African Culture., go2africa.com., Retrieved August 19, 2006 from
www.go2africa.com/south-africa/people/
The History of Apartheid in South Africa., Stanford University Website., 2006.,
Retrieved August 20, 2006 from www-cs
students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html
A clear differentiation between race and ethnicity
South Africa has a very diverse and rich cultural nature and therefore has no National Culture. As de
South Africa has a very diverse and rich cultural nature and therefore has no National Culture. As de
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