Ethnicity and Violence in Kwazulu-Natal: 1984-1994.
Abstract
This thesis looks at ethnicity as a contributing factor in the violence which rocked the Kwazulu-Natal region of South Africa from 1984-1994. I begin by examining the term ethnicity and attempt to come up with a working definition. Ethnic identity is defined by having certain cultural and historical characteristics which are unique thus establishing a group identity which sets them apart from the other. I conclude that a person's ethnic identity is a relatively fluid allowing escape and entry based on the situation, but that this flexibility is dependant upon the norms of society in which they live. I then begin to trace the evolution of Zulu history and attempt to show how Zulu ethnicity may have formed. Although it was a complicated process, Zulu ethnicity was not only the result of actions of colonial administrators and the subsequent apartheid system, but also the result of actions of ethnic entrepreneurs consisting of an emerging business class, remnant Zulu royalty and traditional authorities within African society. Furthermore, Zulu ethnic identity was formed within African society itself as the result of their perceptions of their own distinctiveness based upon commonly held ideals of the Zulu kingdom and its founder, Shaka. The violence that emerged was the result of this ethnic identity at the societal level which was in turn constructed, reconstructed, and amplified by various political interests in order to induce violent reactions as an expression and demonstration of political power in an environment of social, political and economic repression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 31, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA309526
Entities
People
- Gregory M. Furbish
Organizations
- University of California, Los Angeles