Diversity in a South African context

Diversity in a South African Context: The Xenophobia Menace Student Name University Course Professor Name Date Diversity in a South African Context: The Xenophobia Menace Defining Xenophobia in the South African Context Xenophobia is a prevalent problem across the African continent, but it is more so in South Africa – xenophobia has been a critical social problem, especially in the post-apartheid era. Xenophobia is a term derived from two Greek words: xenos and phobos – xenos means strange or foreign, while phobos implies fear or hate (Masikane et al., 2020). As such, xenophobia can be defined as fear of strangers, but in the South African context, it extends to the hatred of refugees and migrants. Xenophobia represents the attitudes, behaviors, and prejudices associated with the rejection, exclusion, and vilification of people based on the idea that they are foreigners or outsiders to the society, community, or even the national identity (Masenya, 2017). Xenophobia may be inherently associated with the post-apartheid era in South Africa, but some theorists believe it to have roots in the apartheid era –the apartheid system forced South Africa into isolation by the international community. White immigration was more common than black African immigration; hence there was minimal contact between South Africans and black foreigners (Tella, 2016). As such, xenophobia is mostly directed at African immigrants, with other nationalities such as South and East Asian also facing their fair share of the problem. An interesting aspect to clarify is that, based on supporting research on the subject, xenophobia does not only emanate from the hatred of foreigners but it also arises from media depictions and the association of these foreigners with many problems facing local communities. Foreigners are seen as threatening jobs for locals, their businesses do better than those of the locals, and the foreigners seem to always do better than locals in terms of socio-economic well-being (Masenya, 2017). In other words, foreigners are associated with the socio-economic problems facing locals. The media is also responsible for the problem. Its portrayal of immigrants and foreigners as an “invasion by aliens” perpetuates the hatred for foreigners (Tarisayi & Manik, 2020). Therefore, xenophobia in the South African Context is a culmination of South Africa’s isolation from Africa in the apartheid era, media portrayal of foreignness, and the perception of foreigners and immigrants as aliens, associating them with the socio-economic problems facing locals. Intersection with Other Identity Factors- Race and Culture One key point outlined earlier is that xenophobia is not meted out to all foreign or immigrants in equal measure – black Africans are the most affected, while white Europeans are less so. This observation brings about the issue of the intersection between xenophobia and other identity factors, more so, race and culture. As explained by Atrey (2022), xenophobia in South Africa can be described as intersectional discrimination since xenophobia has to do with race and other grounds, such as nationality and culture. Intersectionality is a theory associated with Crenshaw’s idea that inequality should not be examined from a ‘single-axis’ understanding, effectively pushing for a multi-dimensional approach that acknowledges lived experiences (Beetar, 2016). In the context of xenophobia in South Africa, intersectionality manifests through how black Africans are disproportionately affected – Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Mozambique constitute about 70% of foreigners in South Africa, and these groups are also the most affected by xenophobia attacks (BBC News Reality Check Team, 2019). This scenario can be explained by the socio-psychological effects of the “Whites Only” citizenship after the Union of South Africa was established in 1910. White was seen as valuable and good, black was perceived as wretched and evil (Tella, 2016). Therefore, the racial intersection of xenophobia also has its roots in the apartheid era. The intersection between xenophobia and culture cannot be ignored, especially given the cultural differences between the South Africans and the foreigners. Social identity theory proposes that people see themselves as members of a group rather than unique individuals – this perception becomes a core determinant of behavior and self-definition. In the South African context, it is apparent that African immigrants (blacks) have a different social identity to the South Africans. The rationale is these people look different, walk differently, and speak a different language, meaning they are seen as ‘not like us’ (Adetiba, 2023). The identified roots of th...