Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37997
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Item Liminal Identity of Japanese expatriates/migrants in post Apartheid South Africa: How has “honorary whiteness” been (re)produced and influenced their subjectivity?(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06) Ban, Yukako; Dey, SayanIn post-Apartheid South Africa, racial segregation persists. Japanese migrants were granted "honorary white" status during Apartheid, while the Chinese were classified as non-white. This research explores the experiences of Japanese migrants in post-Apartheid South Africa to unravel the complex racial structure. Occupying a liminal racial and ethnic position, the Japanese benefit from class and nationality privileges, providing access to positions of power. The study sheds light on their navigation of liminal spaces and their understanding of race, ethnicity, and nationality in the social structure of post-Apartheid South Africa. The findings uncover prevalent neo-racism and a sense of racial in-betweenness, with Japanese migrants perceiving themselves as "in-between" black and white or as racially neutral. Their liminal position allows access to diverse social groups based on behaviour and contextual factors. This liminality holds the potential to challenge existing social structures through varied interpretations and interactions.Item The Politics of Cancel Culture: Origins, Identity, and Prognostications of Cancel Culture in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-03) Dunlop, John Anthony Blackadder; Omar, AyeshaIn this Research essay, I identify five socio-political developments, trends, and or features which characterize the relationship between Cancel Culture and South Africa. Firstly, because of Cancel Culture’s origins and notoriety, the concept was moulded in the United States and, therefore, a modern liberal device. Secondly, because of its roots Cancel Culture is also founded upon ideas around identity and woke politics. Thirdly, South Africa’s employment of Cancel Culture is justified within the country’s common and most troublesome socio-political struggles, which include issues with racism, decolonization, sexual assault, and gender-based violence. Fourthly, South African Cancel Culture, is ideologically and politically non-partisan, as there doesn’t seem to be an overload of opposition, claim and dismissal for the concept. Lastly, South Africa’s right-wing conservatives and far-right factions are not as hyper-critical of Cancel Culture, and their discontent and critiques of the socio-political phenomenon are not well published when compared to the Western World. This essay argues and predicts that: firstly, Cancel Culture will not take an extensive period before it becomes a household name, and more cases or examples will follow. Secondly, Cancel Culture’s social media presence will escalate, which will allow for further development and evolution of the concept. Thirdly, Cancel Culture will become a prominent fixture and component among South Africa’s various Universities. There will be an upsurge in self-censorship and political correctness amongst South African citizens to prevent attempted cancellations. South African liberals and far-left advocates will continue to be Cancel Culture’s principal protagonists and perpetuators. Following that, right-wing, conservative, and far-right South Africans will aim to retort and resist the rise of Cancel Culture. I contend that parallel to the United States, Cancel Culture will continue to be an ineffective feature of South Africa’s contemporary socio-political environment. Lastly, because of Cancel Culture’s online presence and notoriety, the concept will have a dramatic increase in academic enquiry, research, and literature.